Via Emilia Garden's now serving brunch...yes!

Via Emilia Garden is a great place for dinner and now...it's also a great place for brunch. That's wonderful news because I know how good their dinner is so brunch certainly had to be as good. I'll tell you, it didn't disappoint.

$45 gets you this...

Mimosa

Unlimited mimosas and the orange juice is fresh squeezed making them the perfect start (and accompaniment) to your meal.

A plate of goodness from the buffet

Take a few sips of that then make your way to the antipasti buffet. There you can choose from a cured meats and cheese board, meatballs, rice salad, stuffed paccheri, grilled vegetables and for the end of the meal, a variety of desserts. Don't worry, that's covered later.

Next, the pasta will start coming to your table so be ready because there are six choices. Try them all, or just the ones you want. Believe me though, you're going to love them all. They are...

Lasagna, layers filled with meat sauce, cheese and topped with as much parmesan cheese as you'd like. Truly delectable.

Al dente pumpkin cappellacci with butter and sage. These adorable dumpling-like pasta have a sweet pumpkin flavor and are served in a light butter sage sauce.

Tender homemade ravioli filled with spinach, served with sauteed cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes are rich in flavor and the spinach is the perfect pairing.

The tagiatelle in bolognese sauce (or ragu) is like a warm hug.

Perfect ratio of pasta to meat sauce.

Tagliatelle with vegetables, this one's got tomatoes, zucchini and plenty of other deliciously tender vegetables. A nice sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese is great on all the pasta dishes.

One additional pasta dish I didn't get to sample was the four-cheese gnocchi which I'm certain is delicious. You really can't go wrong with any of these.

Panna cotta with strawberries and homemade tiramisu

Other than what's pictured above for dessert, the buffet also includes fresh fruit, dried fruit, Chef's cookies and strawberry fruit salad. I sprinkled a few pistachios on my plate for a nice added crunch.

Aside from this great menu, the ambiance is stellar. Simply elegant indoor seating and lovely outdoor garden seating. Your choice. There's also a nice market for taking home imported Italian items.

Via Emilia Garden, 3500 N. Miami Ave., 786.359.4990