Cafe Amici
Our Story
Café Amici opened its doors on February 5, 2007 with a simple goal — to create a place where friends and families could gather, enjoy great food, and feel at home. From the beginning we relied on word of mouth from our loyal guests to spread the news about the newest spot on Whitney Avenue — a place where old friends reconnect and new friendships begin.
What started as a neighborhood restaurant has grown into a true community gathering place, built on hospitality, tradition, and a passion for great food.
In 2015, longtime partners Michael Migliaro and Stephen Barraco expanded their vision by opening Amici Tavern in North Haven, creating a local destination known for upscale tavern fare, craft drinks, and the same welcoming atmosphere that made Café Amici a success.
Then in 2022, an opportunity arose to move Café Amici from its original home at 1670 Whitney Avenue to 1640 Whitney Avenue. The move carried special meaning — it was the very building where Michael and Steve had first worked together years earlier at Leon's Restaurant, and where they had also worked alongside Chef Pierre Daniel. For the team, it truly felt like coming full circle.
Today Café Amici continues to celebrate that same spirit of friendship, food, and community that inspired it from the beginning.
The management and staff at Café Amici are here to make your experience memorable. If you have any special requests, please do not hesitate to ask your server.
Executive Chef Bio
Michael Migliaro - Executive Chef
Michael Migliaro's passion for cooking began at an early age. At just ten years old he stood beside his grandfather in the kitchen, learning the fundamentals of Italian cooking and hospitality. The restaurant business runs deep in Michael's family. In the 1930s his great-grandfather opened Vito's Restaurant, and his grandfather later operated multiple locations throughout the New Haven area, including restaurants on Wooster Street and in Madison.
Even after those restaurants were sold, Michael's grandfather continued working in the industry at iconic Wooster Street establishments such as Papa Coppola's and Delmonaco's. When Michael was ten, his grandparents opened a small ten-table restaurant where Michael spent nearly every day, further cementing his love for the business.
Michael later worked at the long-established Leon's Restaurant in New Haven, where he met chef Pierre Daniel in 1996 and developed a deeper understanding of both the kitchen and the front-of-house operations that make a restaurant successful.
Michael's culinary skills earned him a scholarship through a Johnson & Wales University recipe competition. After qualifying as an Advanced Standing Student, he attended Johnson & Wales University, graduating in 1998 with an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts.
After graduation Michael broadened his experience in restaurant operations and management before returning to independent restaurants where he felt most at home. Over the years he worked in several notable Connecticut establishments, including serving as Executive Chef at Mayor Mike's, where the restaurant received three stars from the Hartford Courant and recognition as Best New Restaurant from both Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Magazine.
In 2006 Michael reunited with longtime friend and business partner Stephen Barraco, and together they opened Café Amici in February of 2007 in Hamden's Spring Glen neighborhood.
In 2013, Chef Pierre Daniel rejoined the team, taking over leadership of the kitchen and bringing his experience and creativity to the Amici menu.
Together Michael, Steve, and Chef Pierre continue to build on the traditions that have made Amici a neighborhood favorite for nearly two decades.