Salumeria 104: Chef Angelo Masarin on Northern Italian Dining
For nearly 15 years, Salumeria 104 has built its identity around Northern Italian cooking, traditional cured meats and the easygoing spirit of a neighborhood trattoria. Led by Chef and Co-Owner Angelo Masarin, the concept has grown from its original Midtown Miami location to Coral Gables, Weston and Atlantic Beach while retaining the neighborhood character of the original.
Behind the concept is Graspa Group, the South Florida hospitality company founded in 2002 by Graziano Sbroggio, a longtime figure in Miami’s Italian restaurant scene. With Masarin guiding the culinary direction and Graspa Group overseeing operations, Salumeria 104 has expanded while maintaining its focus on Italian food and hospitality.
Below, Chef Angelo Masarin reflects on his roots in Treviso, the traditions that shaped his approach, and what it takes to scale a trattoria across Florida.
Miami Living (ML): Salumeria 104 takes its name from Suite 104, home of the original Midtown restaurant. When you opened there in 2011, what did you want Salumeria 104 to represent?
Angelo Masarin: From the beginning, I wanted Salumeria 104 to be a lively, local trattoria built on authentic, high-quality ingredients. The idea was to create a place that feels like part of the neighborhood, somewhere people can come every day, whether for a quick lunch or a long dinner with friends. At the same time, I wanted it to be a destination for visitors looking for genuine Italian food in Miami.
ML: Growing up in Treviso, near Venice, what childhood flavors or family traditions have stayed with you most strongly as a chef?
Masarin: Tiramisù, without a doubt. It was created in Treviso, and it was something we made at home, so it’s a dessert that is very close to my heart. Salumi were also a big part of our family tradition. Cured meats were always on our table, and making and sharing them was part of everyday life. Both of those flavors stayed with me, and you can see them reflected in what we serve at Salumeria 104 today.
ML: The salumeria tradition is central to the restaurant’s identity. What attracted you to building a restaurant concept around it?
Masarin: It’s personal. Our logo is a pig, and for me the pig represents family tradition and my roots. When I was growing up, we butchered the pig ourselves and made our own salumi at home. It was a family event, something everyone took part in. I wanted to create an authentic trattoria that brings back that feeling, and the memory of going out with our families for lunch after church on Sundays. Salumeria 104 is my way of sharing that experience with Miami.
ML: Your menus draw on Italian traditions and family recipes while also featuring seasonal specialties. How do you decide when to preserve a classic and when there is room to reinterpret it?
Masarin: Most of the time, we let the seasons guide us, just as we would in Italy. In Miami, that can be a challenge, because the seasons and the ingredients available here are very different. So sometimes we adjust a recipe to work with local ingredients. The goal is always to stay true to the spirit of the original dish while making it work with what’s fresh and available here.
ML: What made Miami the right place to introduce a concept so rooted in Northern Italian food and culture?
Masarin: Northern Italian food and culture have traveled all over the world. Italian food is one of the most popular cuisines, and also one of the most varied. In a historic milestone, UNESCO has recently recognized Italian cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making it the first and only national cuisine to receive this prestigious recognition. Miami is home to many Europeans and South Americans, people who already know and appreciate this kind of food. It’s a city where cultures mix, and that made it a natural place for Salumeria 104 to settle and grow.
ML: Salumeria 104 has grown from Midtown to Coral Gables, Atlantic Beach and Weston, with each location developing its own personality. As the concept expands into new communities, what is the one element you consider essential to preserve?
Masarin: Consistency, in both the kitchen and the service. Every location should offer the same food we serve at our flagship, along with the genuine hospitality that defines who we are. We use the same recipes across all of our restaurants and make only slight adjustments for the guests in each community. But whether you visit us in Midtown, Coral Gables, Atlantic Beach or Weston, you should feel that you are at Salumeria 104.
ML: As Salumeria 104 approaches its 15th anniversary, what means the most to you when you look back at what you have built?
Masarin: It all started with a dream of opening my own restaurant. With a strong belief in that vision and a lot of hard work, that one restaurant eventually grew into four. I’m deeply grateful to my partners, Graziano Sbroggio and Carlo Donadoni, for their support and guidance along the way. This has always been a team effort, and our different strengths have complemented one another. When I look back, I remember how we started: with one chef – me – and a team of just 25 employees. Today, we have grown into a team of 200 people. What makes me most proud isn't just how much the business has grown, but the people who have been part of that journey and everything we've built together.
ML: As both a chef and co-owner, what has building Salumeria 104 taught you that working in a kitchen alone could never have taught you?
Masarin: The most difficult lesson was learning to delegate and to trust other people. As a chef, you’re used to controlling everything on the plate, but running a business means relying on your team. I also learned how to build relationships with our guests and truly connect with them. And I learned the business side, from administration and operations to human resources and working with landlords. Basically, I learned to look at the restaurant from a business perspective, rather than focusing only on the food.
Salumeria 104
Locations: Midtown Miami, Coral Gables, Weston and Atlantic Beach
Website: salumeria104.com
Instagram: @salumeria104