By Ray Rogers
Ray Rogers: Since it first opened its doors in 2001, Casa Tua has been a long-time fixture in Miami, an icon of elegance and deliciousness. It’s expanded to Aspen and Paris in recent years. Why was now the right time to bring the brand to Manhattan?
Miky Grendene: I lived in New York when I was younger; so did my wife, before we knew each other. Our kids are all in their 20s now and working for the family business and we felt it would be an amazing opportunity to embark on together. We open Casa Tua locations in places we love, where we want to spend time and where we know our clients love, or live in, too. We’ve moved here now as a family, and are poring over every detail of Casa Tua, another special extension of our home. Our decisions are really driven by the heart.
RR: There are many private clubs in NYC—what does Casa Tua offer that’s unique to it?
MG: We were one of the first private clubs of this type in the country. We’ve had 23 years to get to know our members, many of whom have been with us since the beginning. I’m very grateful for that, and I think it makes us unique in this market. I’ve been intentionally slow to expand Casa Tua, so we have had nearly a decade poured into every detail of every location, making each unique with its own identity but sharing a common core.
We always understood our clients spend a lot of time in New York collectively and we wanted to offer them a place to call home. We felt the perfect location for our New York outpost was the Upper East Side. I love the sense of community in the neighborhood, the sophistication and timelessness. I felt there was an opportunity to bring something fresh and dynamic here that would bring a bit of the downtown energy uptown.
RR: How did you land on The Surrey hotel for the location?
MG: The history of The Surrey is special—it presented an opportunity and a challenge at the same time. I always say we need to look back at the past to find solutions for the future, and this location allowed me to do that.
RR: Of course, Casa Tua is known for its incredible Italian fare, which nonmembers can also enjoy at its public restaurant. What can New Yorkers look forward to at the restaurant here?
MG: This is the first time we’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s also the first time we have a third outpost like The Lounge, with its own independent menu. It’s given us a lot of room to work with. The New York menu stays true to our identity and who we are, but we’ve been having a lot of fun exploring new dishes and introducing new cuisines. Once again, I think of Casa Tua as a home—and while in my home we eat a lot of Italian food, naturally, I love to cook other cuisines. I wanted our menu to be reflective of that. Our lounge menu, for example, includes maki, nigiri and a beautiful selection of crudos. For the health conscious, our menu also offers wellness shots, fresh juices and an evolving selection of salads. 20 E. 76 St., NYC, casatualife.com