Why You Must Visit La Huella’s 2nd Restaurant in Miami

If we had to place a bet on where La Huella, the laid back beach restaurant in Uruguay’s bohemian José Ignacio, would have opened next, we wouldn't have picked the neon light, flashy, ever pulsing city of Miami. We would have lost that bet: La Huella is taking up residence in Brickell. 

Even less easy to predict would have been the decision to open in the city’s urban downtown district; inside a hotel run by a large Hong Kong based company and located within a mammoth mixed-use development (Brickell City Centre) that will also house office towers, apartment blocks, and a shopping center.  As incongruous as it sounds, this is exactly La Huella’s plan for their first U.S. project: an as yet unnamed restaurant inside the EAST, Miami hotel, opening in the fall of 2015.

It's an intriguing project but one which the team promise will hew closely to the original restaurant’s ethos. Just as in José Ignacio, the menu (designed by chef Alejandro Morales and inspired by owners Martín Pittaluga, Gustavo Barbero, and Guzmán Artagaveytia’s Uruguayan roots) will be centered around fresh, simple ingredients and the Uruguayan parrilla, at La Huella much of the menu comes off the seven-foot grill facing the dining room.

Fans are eagerly awaiting this new outpost of La Huella, which has recieved high acclaim since opening in 2001. We asked Artagaveytia about this next step in the restaurant’s story. Here's what he had to say.

Next, what the future holds for La Huella… [pagebreak]

Why have you decided to expand La Huella?

We were contacted by Swire Hotels with the opportunity to collaborate on bringing the concept of the restaurant to EAST, Miami. It seemed to be a great opportunity for a new challenge and to get to know new markets.

Why open in Miami and why in a hotel?

Miami is a very cosmopolitan city and has recently been experiencing a renewed interest in gastronomy. The project is in an area that is growing exponentially and is associated with very good gastronomy. And Brickell City Centre is a great project which will enhance it even more. 

How do you plan to recreate the atmosphere of José Ignacio in an urban environment?

We are working hard with Studio Collective, a design studio from Los Angeles, for the ambience to feel similar yet urban; our main ally is the fires, which is the basis of our kitchen.

What will the menu at the new restaurant look like?

The menu will have the same spirit as that of La Huella: delicious, very good products, generous, proud, honest, simple, and with a lot of fire.

How much time will the La Huella team be spending in Miami, and how will this affect operations back in José Ignacio?

La Huella team will be present as long as it is needed in order for the project to be a success and we can maintain our standards of quality and service. At the present time we have three gastronomical ventures and we have not felt in any point that it has affected the opening of either. 

After Miami, do you have any plans to open anywhere else?

One step at a time. We are just landing in Miami and we plan on enjoying it.