i. Biography
Executive Chef at La Centrale in Brickell City Center in Miami, Florida, is the title that fixes Vincenzo Scarmiglia’s American work within a clear trade frame: Italian regional cooking carried from kitchens in Italy into the scale, polish, and volume of Las Vegas, then into Miami as both operating system and public-facing format.
The Climb
Italian kitchen formation in the late twentieth century was built on repetition, station discipline, and the gradual transfer of judgment from hand to hand. Las Vegas required Italian cooking to hold under pressure, visibility, and repeated service at scale. At Valentino Restaurant Group in Las Vegas, NV (1999–2005), Scarmiglia worked as Chef de Cuisine at Valentino and Kitchen Manager at Caffé Giorgio, entering the American restaurant market through dining rooms where consistency mattered as much as identity. The shift was not only geographic. It put an Italian-trained cook inside a service culture built on volume, timing, and nightly expectation. The Las Vegas progression kept the work inside the Italian repertoire while increasing the leadership load. Scarmiglia became Executive Sous Chef at Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare in Las Vegas, NV (2005), then Executive Chef at Terrazza Restaurant in Las Vegas, NV (2005–2006). He followed with Executive Chef at Osteria del Circo in Las Vegas, NV (2006–2009), and Executive Chef at Sirio Ristorante in Las Vegas, NV (until 2013). Those posts mark a move from senior production into full command of kitchens built for destination dining. High-profile Italian restaurant work in Las Vegas continued through Executive Chef roles at Fiamma Trattoria & Bar in Las Vegas, NV (2013–2014), Giada Ristorante in Las Vegas, NV (2014–2016), and The Cromwell Hotel in Las Vegas, NV (2014–2016). The next move, to Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa, CA (2016–2017), placed the same Italian framework in wine country. From 2017, Scarmiglia became Executive Chef - Culinary Director at La Centrale Italian Food Hall in Miami, FL.
Today
Regional Italian cooking at La Centrale Italian Food Hall in Miami, Florida, is organized as a set of distinct identities rather than a single generic cuisine. As Executive Chef-Culinary Director, Scarmiglia’s work there is tied to Authentic Italian cuisine and to the structure of regional difference. The food hall includes eateries inspired by Tuscany, Liguria, Sardinia, Sicily, Lombardy, Campania, and Apulia, giving the operation a framework that moves between coast, island, countryside, north, and south without flattening them into one style. Fresh pasta and mozzarella made in store are the practical signals of the kitchen’s seriousness. In an Italian operation, those choices put labor and timing into the center of service rather than treating them as decoration.
Recognition
The visible signatures from the Brickell City Center work were dish-level, not abstract. La Centrale signature dishes included a charcuterie spread, grilled octopus, and fresh homemade pasta, each created by Scarmiglia for the eatery. The range is conventional in the best trade sense: cured meats as welcome and structure, octopus as a test of tenderness and control, pasta as the center of gravity for an Italian kitchen. Preview and opening service gave the craft a public form. At a private preview event, grilled octopus with an Italian twist was among the tastings served by La Centrale Executive Chef Vincenzo Scarmiglia. During the grand opening celebration, his team prepared fresh cavatelli cacio e pepe in the La Cucina cooking studio. The dish kept the focus on essentials: fresh cavatelli, cheese, pepper, and the visible labor of pasta work inside a kitchen designed to make regional Italian cooking immediate to guests.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Vincenzo
What is Vincenzo Scarmiglia's current role?
Vincenzo Scarmiglia is Executive Chef at La Centrale in Brickell City Center.
What is Vincenzo Scarmiglia known for?
Authentic Italian cuisine.
