September 2026 — There are thousands of Italian restaurants across the United States. Genuine Italian dining culture is considerably rarer. It is the kind rooted in a real relationship with food, family, and hospitality rather than a brand identity built around Italian aesthetics.
Luca Di Michele, General Manager of Rosaluna Ristorante in Miami and a key figure in a growing family hospitality group, has spent the past five years thinking seriously about what the difference actually is.
What Authentic Means in Practice
Brought up in Italy and fresh from his studies at La Sapienza in Rome, Luca packed up his life and headed stateside in 2021. His connection to Italian food culture is a personal history, not a marketing position.
When Numero 28 was launched in New York, the rules were simple — cook the exact food you would eat back home in Italy, treat every customer like an old friend walking through your front door, and never water any of it down just to squeeze out an extra buck.
That principle has carried through every concept the family has opened since, including Zeppola Bakery in 2023 and Rosaluna in Miami in 2024.
Why Miami Is a Particular Test of That Principle
Miami is not a forgiving market. The city has an international character and a dining public with high expectations and genuine options. Standing out there requires more than good food. It requires a clear identity and the consistency to deliver it in every single service.
Rosaluna has built its identity around being straightforwardly Italian. It is neither a fusion concept nor a high-concept reinterpretation of Italian classics. Just Italian food made well, served with care, in a room where guests feel genuinely welcomed.
“Miami has been the most honest test of what we actually stand for,” said Luca Di Michele. “The city doesn’t give you credit for trying. You either deliver it, or you don’t. We’ve been focused on delivering it every day.”
Two Years In
As Rosaluna enters its third year of operation, the focus remains on the same things it started with. Consistency, warmth, and food that reflect a genuine Italian culinary tradition rather than an approximation of one.
About Luca Di Michele
Luca Di Michele is an Italian-American hospitality professional and General Manager of Rosaluna Ristorante in Miami, part of a family-owned group operating across New York and Miami since 2021.