Joey's has been Second Saturday’s de facto dining spot from the very first weekend the eatery opened its doors. And if the wall-to-wall of April’s art crawl is any indication, it remains just that too. Now Joey’s is also vying to be all things to the theater crowd, and after just one week with the new pre- and post- prix fixe menu it seems they’re succeeding wonderfully. NBCMiami sidled up to Treviso-born, Venice-trained head chef and co-owner Ivo Mazzon and got him to fill us in.
For the few who've yet to have the pleasure, tell us a bit about Joey's. Joey's is an Italian restaurant that was born from the Goldman family's intention of developing a nice neighborhood in a then unknown location close to downtown, where the need to eat can be paired with a special dining experience.
What made you decide on Wynwood? When I met Joey [Goldman] it was on a Second Saturday night and I was thrilled by the vibe and the potential of the area, especially knowing there were no restaurants. For myself it was time for a change anyway, and I welcomed the challenge to run a restaurant on my own.
Now you're introducing a new theatre menu. Wanna fill us in? Yes! Our new theater menu consists of a $20 prix fixe package which includes a choice of appetizer, entree or pizza, dessert. It will be like a happy hour for the people who are going to the theater or any other show that is happening downtown. We'll serve from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.
What brought this all about? The idea came about because so much is going on downtown and we are so close that we want to offer the people the opportunity to have a nice meal at a fair price at the right time. Good for us... good for everybody!
Do you ever have a chance to slip out and catch a play or something? No unfortunately, mostly I am too busy at the restaurant to go anywhere. I have been to the Sony Ericsson, and to see the Marlins. Most of the time when I can get away from the restaurant though I try to be with my family.
Since Sunday is your one day of rest, does that mean we won't ever see Joey's open for Sunday Brunch? I will not say you won't see Joey's open on Sundays, it is just a matter of time. Right now we are stable enough to start thinking about an extra day of service, but the demand is not very high. Remember this is still a developing area, and on a Sunday there is not much happening.
