Evan Funke, the Roman cuisine pro behind LA’s perpetual hotspots Felix and Mother Wolf, has brought his latest venture, Mother Wolf Miami, to the Miami Design District in partnership with Ten Five Hospitality, known for its high-profile restaurant projects like Baia Beach Club. The new outpost showcases Funke’s traditional approach to Roman cooking, blending age-old culinary techniques with Miami’s sleek, modern vibe.

Funke, a two-time James Beard nominee who also happens to star in the latest season of Chef’s Table on Netflix (focused, of course, on pasta), tells Eater Miami he’s not interested in opening just another Italian restaurant—something Miami has plenty of. “Mother Wolf is not an Italian restaurant. It’s a Roman restaurant,” he explained. “Roman food is very strict, almost dogmatic. There’s one way to make cacio e pepe, there’s one way to make amatriciana.”

Mother Wolf shot to national fame in 2022, attracting a 1,500-person waitlist before it even opened and quickly becoming a hotspot for A-list celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, Chrissy Teigen, and Vanessa Hudgens. The buzz only intensified with the expansion last year, adding a second location inside the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

In this newest outpost, Funke’s signature “pasta lab” takes center stage as guests walk into the space, offering diners a view into the daily pasta-making process. Alongside his staple dishes—like cacio e pepe and rigatoni alla carbonara—Funke introduces new Miami-inspired items like spaghetti Ricci di Mare, with sea urchin, and a seafood-heavy Fritto Misto di Mare. “We’re moving toward coastal Roman,” Funke said of the Miami location. “Italian food is very much environmentally driven, and here we’re cooking as Italians would—leaning into what’s available around us.”

At Mother Wolf, Funke aims to transport guests straight to the streets of Rome. Fired in a wood oven, the pizzas stay true to Roman tradition with thin crusts and simple ingredients like the classic Margherita and spicy Diavola. Beyond the pizza and pasta, diners can expect dishes like fried squash blossoms and short rib-filled meatballs, while mains like whole roasted branzino, lamb rib chops, and dry-aged ribeye round out the offerings.

Designed by London’s Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, Mother Wolf blends Roman influences with Miami’s art deco style. Murano glass chandeliers hang from a custom fabric ceiling, while terrazzo floors and Horus gold marble tables fill the dining room. Timber-framed banquettes and a 30-foot bar add a touch of old-school glamour, mean to balance the rustic nature of the food. “The space is really over the top while the food is extremely rustic,” Funke says. “I like that juxtaposition.” Oak paneling, brass accents, and glazed ceramic details can be found throughout the space, while the open kitchen offers a front-row seat to the action, with bar seats in front saved for walk-ins.

In keeping with the Italian theme, servers wear tuxedo jackets, while sommeliers provide rare Italian wines by the glass, adding to the celebratory atmosphere. The wine list, featuring over 400 bottles, highlights producers from Italy’s Piedmont, Tuscany, and Sardinia. Drinks are no afterthought either. The cocktail list balances Italian classics with local twists. The San Lorenzo mixes gin, sage, and black pepper, while the R&R plays with whiskey and Italian herbs.

However, Funke admits that Miami wasn’t always on his radar. “I don’t really target markets like, ‘I want to open here,’” he said. “I like to go where there’s great people, where I can get good products, where people want to cook this food. And Miami—there’s no shortage of Italian restaurants, so I knew there would be a set of cooks I could possibly work with.” Funke found himself pulled in by the Design District’s mix of art and fashion, which he felt aligned with the restaurant. “The space and energy just felt right,” he said.

For Funke, creating a connection between Miami and Rome is key. “If you eat cacio e pepe here and then go to Rome, I want you to remember that time at Mother Wolf Miami,” he said.

Mother Wolf Miami is now open at 3841 NE 2nd Avenue in the Miami Design District from Tuesday through Sunday, from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Giovana Canali continues to have an incredible freshman season as she scores her eighth goal of the season in the second half and the University of Miami soccer team (4-5-3) earned a 1-0 victory over Florida Atlantic (2-7-3) Sunday evening.

Miami recorded 19 shots in the match, eight of which were on frame, while FAU compiled four shots, three of which were on frame. 

The Canes will return to the field next Saturday, October 12, when they will travel to face Clemson. 

Volleyball: Virginia 3, Miami 0

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A former Detroit Tigers ace has shown interest in coming back to the world of baseball to manage another one of his former squads.

According to Barry Jackson of Miami Herald, 16-year MLB veteran pitcher Anibal Sanchez has reached out to the Miami Marlins to tell them that he has interest in being the team’s next manager.

The Marlins and Skip Schumaker went their separate ways after just two seasons, with both parties wanting to go in different directions. Miami had an abysmal 62-100 record in 2024, with that record somehow not being representative of just how bad the season went.

Marlins president Peter Bendix is reportedly looking for a player with connections to team to be the next manager, making Sanchez someone that makes sense.

Before coming to the Tigers, Sanchez started his MLB career with Miami. He was an international signing out of Venezuela by the Boston Red Sox before the Marlins ended up acquiring him all the way back in 2005 which is where he would make his debut shortly after.

He was shaping up to be an elite middle-rotation guy as he worked a 3.75 ERA in seven years for Miami. The righty was never the flashiest player, as he didn’t strike batters out at a high rate, but was very efficient.

The best game of his career came as a Marlin as he pitched a no-hitter back in 2006.

Miami sent Sanchez to the Tigers along with Omar Infante in exchange for Jacob Turner, Rob Brantly, Brian Flynn and a draft selection ahead of the 2012 MLB trade deadline.

Detroit clearly came away on top in that deal given that both Sanchez and Infante played for a few seasons while none of the players they sent away ended up amounting to impactful MLB players.

Sanchez pitched for the Tigers all the way from late July 2012 through the 2017 season. His first few years with Detroit were electric before he started to trail off in the later years of his time there.

He never made an all-star game, but led the MLB with a 2.57 ERA back in 2013. Across his six seasons with the Tigers, he posted a 4.43 ERA with a WHIP of 1.229.

By the end of his time in Detroit, he was splitting time out of the bullpen and in the rotation and had a 6.41 ERA. He walked in free agency before reviving his career with the Atlanta Braves.

Even if the Marlins go in a different direction with their hiring decision, a pitcher that had such a long career could make sense as a manager somewhere.