South Florida Sun Sentinel
May 27, 2021 12:57 PM
Let’s Go, South Florida host Arlene Borenstein visits Chef Fabio Viviani’s new Fort Lauderdale Beach restaurant Riviera with special guest chef Rocco Dispirito.
In this week’s episode of Let’s Go, South Florida: Top Chef star and restaurateur Fabio Viviani talks about why Fort Lauderdale has more good restaurants than bad, how his compressed watermelon ceviche is addictive and the reality of McDonald’s chicken nuggets. And don’t miss a visit from Viviani’s pal, chef Rocco DiSpirito, who teaches us how to make a fish crudo that’s great for the summer.
Chef Fabio Viviani’s new Fort Lauderdale Beach restaurant is not just about a killer waterfront view on A1A, but a menu as likeable as the “Top Chef” fan favorite.
“We are infusing Italian flavor with American-Florida coastline: From octupus, to sea bass, to branzino,” Viviani said, naming a few seafood dishes on the menu at Riviera by Fabio Viviani. “We have classic Italian, we have meatballs, we have handmade fresh pastas, we have great cuts of steak.”
Top Chef star Fabio Viviani elevates beachside fare at his Riviera by Fabio Viviani restaurant inside the Hotel Maren in Fort Lauderdale. (Courtesy of Fabio Viviani)
The restaurant is inside the new Hotel Maren, part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, at 525 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.
Riviera, which opened in January, is one of the few Broward County restaurants selected to participate in the recent South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Viviani partnered with his friend, Rocco DiSpirito, longtime culinary TV personality, chef and author, to host an Italian dinner for the event.
“We met on ‘Top Chef.’ He was a contestant, I was a judge,” DiSpirito said. “He was obviously making great food then, and now he is opening restaurants all over the world.”
Viviani’s passion for food and hospitality is rooted in the challenges he faced growing up in Florence, Italy.
“My family was very underprivileged. We had no money … we were below broke,” the restaurateur said. “There was a lot of month left at the end of the money, and my dad is working three jobs, my mom is working three jobs and my mom got sick.”
In this week’s Let’s Go episode, Viviani opens up about working overnight kitchen shifts as a child to help make ends meet. He did this for three years before he was officially hired at age 15 with a daytime job. At 18, he bought into his boss’ company and opened his first restaurant.
“This is all I’ve done my entire life,” said Viviani, who by age 27 had opened and owned five restaurants and three small bed and breakfasts among other businesses in Italy. But he sold it all to move to the United States, without knowing English, opening his first restaurant in Los Angeles in 2005.
Sun Sentinel reporter and Let’s Go, South Florida host Arlene Borenstein with Chef Fabio Viviani, left and Chef Rocco DiSpirito at the Riviera by Fabio Viviani restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)
His risk came with great reward. The chef has since opened dozens of other restaurants from coast to coast and has secured multiple partnerships with his Fabio Viviani Hospitality group, launching multiple hotel, casino and airport projects.
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“Because of the team we had and the culture we built, is how we were able, in a short 12 years, to open 40-plus restaurants,” said Viviani.
The restaurateur has also competed on popular TV shows including “Top Chef” season 5, winning the title of Fan Favorite. He also went beast mode winning the take-no-prisoners competition, “Cutthroat Kitchen: All-Star Tournament.” He has written several successful cookbooks.
“Talk is cheap, results matter. There are a lot of people out there that tell you how it’s got to be, how you should be, what you got to do. It’s just a lot of talking…let your results speak for themselves,” said the chef.
Riviera by Fabio Viviani is at 525 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., inside the Hotel Maren Fort Lauderdale Beach. Call 754-241-2020 or go to RivierabyFabioViviani.com.
