Miami - Miami and the Keys - page 201

Front Porch Cafe AMERICAN
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 305-531-8300; 1418 Ocean Dr; mains $10-18; h 7am-11pm)
A blue-and-white escape from the madness of the cruising scene, the Porch has been
serving excellent salads, sandwiches and the like since 1990 (eons by South Beach stand-
ards). Weekend brunch is justifiably mobbed; the big omelets are delicious, as are the fat
pancakes and strong coffees.

o Osteria del Teatro ITALIAN

( ; % 305-538-7850; 1443 Washington Ave; mains $17-45; h 6-11pm Mon-Thu,

MAP GOOGLE MAP

to 1am Fri-Sun)
There are few things to swear by but the specials board of Osteria, one of the oldest and
best Italian restaurants in Greater Miami, ought to be one. When you get here, let the gra-
cious Italian waiters seat you, coddle you and then basically order for you off the board.
They never pick wrong.

Yardbird SOUTHERN
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 305-538-5220; 1600 Lenox Ave; mains $26-42; h 11:30am-11pm Mon-
Thu, to midnight Fri, 10am-midnight Sat, 10am-11pm Sun)
Yardbird is one of the most popular practitioners of Miami's surprisingly deep wave of
haute Southern comfort food. The restaurant dishes out some nice Salisbury steak, St
Louis ribs, grits and kale, but it's most famous for a signature chicken and waffles dish that
strikes a nice balance of salty, savory and sweet.

Casa Tua

ITALIAN

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 305-673-1010; www.casatualifestyle.com/miami ; 1700 James Ave; mains
$23-58; h 11:30am-3pm Mon-Fri, 7:30-11pm daily)
Casa Tua is way too cool to have a sign out front. You'll know it by the oh-so-fabulous
crowd streaming in, the hovering limos and what you can see of the beautiful building it-
self (much of it hidden behind a high hedge). If you manage to get a table in the magnifi-
cent, 1925 Mediterranean-style villa, you can linger over delicious prosciutto, Dover sole,
risotto with lobster and veal cheeks.