Slices restaurant brings “Italian Rodizio” concept to North Miami

By Josie GulliksenRodizio is well known in Brazil as the all-you-can-eat meat extravaganza. Now, imagine that concept in an Italian restaurant. That’s exactly what co-owner Alex Brasso of Slices Pizza & Pasta in North Miami is do... oing. He spent four years living in Brazil and thought, why not introduce this concept in an Italian eatery.“The concept of all-you-can-eat is new for pizza and pasta so I figured I would be the one to introduce that here. It’s really not being done anywhere else,” Brasso said.Just like in a rodizio setting, at Slices they use a two-sided chip with the green side to indicate when customers would like the pizza and pasta to keep coming and the red side for when to stop. The prices are beyond competitive - $8.95 for lunch, $12.95 early bird and $13.95 for dinner.At Slices, they boast 50 varieties of pizza with toppings including tomato and basil, pepperoni, arugula and prosciutto and five-cheese. The crust is incredibly thin, light and airy. They use bottled water to prepare the dough and the sauce and toppings are just right. It’s true Italian pizza at its finest.The pastas are just as fresh and light as the pizzas. The spinach and ricotta stuffed ravioli is delicate and served with roasted cherry tomatoes, rich tomato sauce, and topped with fresh parmesan cheese shavings. The linguini carbonara features ribbons of perfectly cooked pasta in a light cream sauce with mushrooms and Italian ham. Co-owner Pierre Gelin, a trained chef and pastry chef at Slices, oversees the creation of all of these delicious dishes.The restaurant’s interior was completely revamped, making it much brighter and open than the previous space. Brasso’s Italian and French background is evident throughout the space. There are huge wine barrels from French wineries, one holding a vase and the other serving as a wine bottle station, while the fire brick oven evokes a rustic Italian feel. Each table features bottles of spiced olive oil and rosemary and garlic infused olive oil, perfect for topping pizzas and bread.The place really comes alive at night when the bar is open for Happy Hour from 4-7 p.m. They have a great selection of specialty gin, rum, tequila, vodka and whisky cocktails as well as draft and bottle beers and after dinner cognac and Armagnac. On Saturday nights they feature live entertainment and on Fridays they run several specials for the college students from nearby FIU and Johnson & Wales University.Slices is a great addition to the North Miami restaurant scene and the welcoming, inviting atmosphere and gourmet menu make it a place worth visiting.