"A little strike of luck... and love," is how Coral Gables restaurateur Nino Pernetti, owner of the popular Caffe Abbracci, accounts for his success. The restaurant, now in its 20th year, has a well-deserved reputation for fine Italian dining, attentive service and a sophisticated setting that attracts an upscale clientele of business leaders, celebrities and international travelers as well as a devoted cadre of local patrons.

When Pernetti was approached by his friend, author Ferdie Pacheco, about writing a book on his life, Pernetti expressed little interest. After giving it some thought, however, he came around. "I have two [young] daughters, and I wanted to leave something for them," he explains. The result is "Nino Pernetti's Caffe Abbracci Cookbook: His Life Story and Travels Around the World," co-written by Nino Pernetti, Ferdie Pacheco and Luisita Sevilla Pacheco.

A native of the Northern Italy, Pernetti began his career in the hotel industry, working principally for Intercontinental Hotels with a short stint at Sheraton International. While resident manager at the Sheraton in Paris, He was offered a position of VP of Food and Beverage for Holiday Inn International in Miami.

"I love the sun, the spice of life, and everything of Miami" recalls Pernetti who quickly learned that a life of constant travel was not exactly what he wanted. He decided to open his own restaurant, Caffe Baci, which he later sold, and then the much larger Caffe Abbracci on Aragon Avenue.

The Caffe Abbraccu Cookbook contains some recipes that will be familiar to regular diners, such as Linguini with Shrimp, and Veal Scallopine with Procciutto, and Arugula. Risotto with Strawberries and Lamb with Cherries and Berries make use of seasonal ingredients in innovative ways. For those with a sweet tooth, Pernetti has included the recipe for his famous Tiramisu.

Pernetti's career has taken him all over the world from austere Kabul and exotic Singapore to the cosmopolitan boulevards of Paris, with many stops between. Along the way he has collected a lifetime of warm and often funny memories that he recounts with obvious delight in the wonder of it all - from encounters with celebrities, to an unexpected too-close-for-comfort meeting with a snake in Africa.