A year ago in this issue, we praised Jeff McInnis for helming Gigi, arguably 2011's hottest Miami restaurant. So when McInnis left that midtown establishment to open Yardbird in South Beach with the 50 Eggs Restaurant group, expectations ran high. Judging from crowds overflowing onto the street since opening night, it would seem those hopes have been realized. The cool farmhouse décor is a refreshing change of pace from designs that too often strain to be SoBe hip. American blues music and friendly service synchronize with the hospitable Southern fare. The menu, produced by McInnis and chef de cuisine Phillip Bryant, brims with big homestyle flavors. We're speaking of dishes such as Brunswick stew with alligator sausage and smoked rabbit, shrimp 'n' grits, and Llewellyn's Fine Fried Chicken with waffles and watermelon. Craft bourbons, beers, and wines are distinctly all-American, as is the overall dining experience. And we're not the only ones mightily impressed: Yardbird and McInnis were nominated for James Beard Awards this year in the Best New Restaurant and Best Chef, South categories.

Downtown Miami has enjoyed a dining renaissance in recent years. Heavy hitters such as Zuma, Area 31, and DB Bistro Moderne brought star power to the neighborhood while smaller, more casual restaurants such as Tre Italian Bistro, Ceviche 105, and Sparky's Roadside Barbecue fortified the foundation. Owners Horacio Oliveira and Jennifer Porciello have witnessed it all from La Loggia's power location right across from the Miami-Dade County Courthouse. Their regional Italian oasis is, among other things, astonishingly consistent. The spaghetti Bolognese, veal scaloppine, and chicken Milanese placed on the table nowadays tastes just as delicious as it was on opening day in 2000. Thin-crust pizzas ($12 to $15), homemade pastas ($13 to $16), and meat/seafood entrées (all under $20) are affordably priced and sumptuously prepared. The ambiance hasn't changed a whit either. The lofty ceiling, mosaic floors, Roman columns, and frescoed walls still transport diners to Italy. The new kids on the block are worthy and exciting, but this old-guard, old-world charmer is timelessly great.

We have grown comfortable with Ortanique since it opened "on the Mile" in July 1999. So much so that we tend to take it for granted. It's like a favorite pair of jeans forgotten in the drawer after you buy a succession of new shirts and jackets. Chef/owner Cindy Hutson's Caribbean-influenced "Cuisine of the Sun" never grows old. Cracked conch with plantain chips ($13), Red Stripe-steamed mussels ($14 small, $18 large), signature jerk chicken penne pasta ($17 lunch, $23 dinner), escovitch whole yellowtail snapper with Scotch bonnet pepper (market price), Bahamian mahi-mahi with lemon-orange boniato sweet plantain mash ($23 lunch, $30 dinner), West Indian-style bouillabaisse in curried coconut broth ($23 lunch, $45 dinner) — let's face it, you can't get this sort of fare anywhere else in town. The staff is warm, the décor is set in festive motifs of flowers and ortanique oranges, and the wine list has more gravitas than you'd expect from a modest neighborhood establishment. Cocktails rock too and are $4 off during happy hour (weekdays from 4 to 7 p.m.), which means $7 each. That sure is comfortable.

Like the plume of its eponymous bird, Peacock Garden Café boasts a patio of an almost shockingly bright, colorful fashion. This verdant tropical garden is located on the grounds settled by the Peacock family around 1870 in what became the Village of Coconut Grove. The lush green setting and historic locale make Peacock Garden Café something of a quintessential Grove restaurant — which is just what Lalo Durazo and Oscar del Rivero had in mind when designing the space. Durazo and del Rivero, the team behind the terrific Jaguar Ceviche and Talavera Cocina, this time turned their talents to "garden-inspired" cuisine — and came through once again. The menu includes a soup of the day ($6 Monday through Thursday, $8 Friday through Sunday), a few pastas ($14 to $17), and a great burger and other sandwiches, each accompanied by a choice of tomato salad, celeriac slaw, or skinny fries ($14 to $18). Main courses? Try baby-back ribs, pan-roasted chicken, seared salmon teriyaki, grilled filet mignon, or Black Angus New York steak. Except the steaks ($30 to $32), entrées run $18 to $24. There are beautiful and bountiful salads as well, including a deal called "The Grill and the Garden," where diners can select any grilled item from the menu (chicken, skirt steak, tuna, shrimp, salmon) and pair it with a salad of choice (Chinese, Greek, niçoise, caesar, or pear/blue cheese). The price for this special runs $16 to $30, depending upon the protein you choose. As you sit at Peacock on a sunny day, perhaps while sipping prosecco, you will surely feel a renewed appreciation for serene Coconut Grove.

The four restaurateurs who own this gem really know what they're doing. Step inside and you feel as if you've been transported to a happening eatery in SoHo or Milan. The air seems to caress your skin, and the low-key background music soothes your tired gray matter. Then you are greeted by one of the charismatic owners or the stunning hostess, who seems to have materialized from the cover of Vogue. When you open the menu, you are astonished that this cozy spot in Calle Ocho's hopping (yes, we're calling it now) cultural district offers gourmet delicacies such as pear and Gorgonzola ravioli ($16.95) and a creamy polenta ($10.95) with homemade Bolognese sauce, fresh mozzarella, sautéed mushrooms, and white truffle oil. Choose from the succulent three-hour beef short ribs ($24.95), the seafood mixed grill with scallops the size of a 5-year-old's fists ($27.95), or the three-hour lamb osso buco, served with one of the most satisfying mushroom risottos you will find anywhere in the city ($25.95). Before you order any of these, though, consider appetizers such as the wood slab with cheese, cold meats, and olives ($15.95) and what might be the most tantalizing ceviche ($10.95) this side of the Keys. And while you are waiting, indulge in one of Catharsis's signature cocktails — such as a delusion martini ($10) or a refreshing mango mojito made with fresh mango juice ($10) — or maybe a bottle of vino from Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile, France, California, or Oregon ($29 to $90). Take advantage of Calle Ocho's free parking after 6 p.m., enjoy the European vibe, and make a night of it by walking to the nearby Tower Theater to catch a foreign flick. Dining at Catharsis is like going away on a minivacation without the TSA strip search.

This quaint neighborhood spot offers what it calls "honest food." Everything is made in house with a focus on using local ingredients and keeping the food as natural and simple as possible. In its quest to create unassuming and unpretentious dishes, Del Sur offers some of the most flavorful, enjoyable, and gourmet food in South Miami-Dade. There is a full line of both hot and cold appetizers; a mozzarella bar; artisan burgers; pressed sandwiches; hot and cold salads; fresh pastas; an array of grilled items such as steak, sausage, chicken, and fish; freshly baked breads and cakes; and a plethora of pastries and desserts. The hardest part about visiting Del Sur is deciding which of its varied delicacies to order. Try the boquerones ($9.95), made with fresh herbs and roasted garlic and served with slices of homemade baguette. Or the lomito sandwich ($12.95), in which grilled filet mignon, two fried eggs, Parma cotto ham, and Havarti cheese join luscious tomatoes, a fresh spring mix, lemon mayo, and roasted bell peppers between two slices of homemade bread. It all performs a perfect tango on your taste buds. Del Sur also caters to vegetarians with delectable dishes such as artichoke and lemon ravioli with fresh primavera sauce ($11.95) and an out-of-this-world homemade cannelloni stuffed with spinach and ricotta and then topped with pink sauce and mozzarella gratin ($11.95). Desserts include two of the finest anywhere: dulce de leche cheesecake ($3.89) and opera cake ($3.95), which features coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache layered between pieces of almond biscuit. You might want to wash down dessert with a cappuccino or latte, but be sure to take advantage of the craft beers such as Monk in the Trunk and Blue Point Toasted Lager or a boutique wine such as the Luca Malbec. As if the food and drink weren't tempting enough, the folks at Del Sur are charming, friendly, and willing to chat about recipes, distinctive libations, and local produce.

This tiny, unassuming neighborhood eatery just off Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami has no right to be as good as it is. The menu promises the "best burgers in North Miami," and they are magnificent. Try the fireman burger, topped with chipotle sauce, jalapeños, and pepper jack cheese, or the Cuban burger, made with a combination of ground beef, ground pork, and chorizo and served with diced sautéed onions and potato sticks. But the creamy macaroni 'n' cheese ($6.50) is the menu's true celebrity. Also worth the trip are Flip's Buffalo wings, which are spiked with the eatery's proprietary hot sauce (ask for it with your burger, or any dish for that matter) and a selection of imported, domestic, and craft beers. Not sure which one to try with your homemade burger? Owner/chef/waiter/bartender Emilio Vega, who took over from previous management less than a year ago, is a font of beer knowledge whose recommendations are right on point.

The sun is rising in the east

And you are drunk upon the beach.

Your belly aches from too much rum

and wild, crazy, all-night fun.

Where have you been, what did you do?

And wait, is that a real tattoo?

You need to stop and eat and think

to lounge, relax, and have a drink.

On Lincoln Road you will find

the tower that the ivy climbs.

The eggs are cheap, 11 bucks for two,

with bread and meat, a cup of coffee, one of juice,

and lots of people watching too.

So grab a seat and say your thanks

to break your fast and not your bank.

If a person from a Third-World country saw a platter of fried zucchini, a platter of bruschetta topped with ripe red tomatoes, and a rock-size chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano, he or she would likely exclaim, "My good Lord, a banquet!" Guests dining at Il Gabbiano are more likely to say, "Gee, that was a nice complimentary snack; let's order dinner now." That's reality for Luigi Tullio and brothers Gino and Fernando Masci, who came to Miami with a sense of abundance and hospitality learned growing up in Abruzzi, Italy (with a 26-year stopover as owners of Greenwich Village's renowned Il Mulino). Dinner plates here overflow with authentic Italian flavors — and the pastas are made in-house, sautéed to order, and boast simple but compelling tastes — exemplified by the orecchiette with broccoli di rape and bucatini alla matriciana (all pastas are $27.75; it isn't as though we didn't tell you this is the best expensive Italian). Risottos are $36.75, but you get what you pay for — textbook preparations of creamy, al dente rice with meticulously prepared garnishes. All of your favorite veal scaloppine dishes are here ($27.75 to $45.75), as are thick steaks ($34.75 to $48.75) and obligatory shrimp scampi ($39.75). It's all an embarrassment of riches, to be sure, but for those who can afford it, Il Gabbiano is a treasure.

The smell of garlic, tomatoes, and smoldering cheese accosts the senses inside Spartico at the Mayfair Hotel, located in Coconut Grove. Chef/restaurateur Jonathan Eismann consulted on the original launch, and chef Philippe Boutinet manages the kitchen, where "Roman pizza" is made in an "Ambrogi wood-burning oven from Milan" (do they not manufacture ovens in Rome?). In addition to turning out crisp, classic pies, the restaurant has a homestyle Italian menu of items ranging from overflowing antipasto platters ($15.95) to fritto misto ($10.95). Parmesan choices are organic chicken breast or eggplant — each doused in seasoned breading and then baked with a simple marinara sauce, fresh local mozzarella, and Grana Parmigiano cheese. You can get a modest plate of spaghetti pomodoro ($10.95) or an almost healthful "SoBe Vegetarian" pizza topped with roasted roma tomatoes, mozzarella, veggies, mixed olives, and mache lettuce ($13.95). Do not make the critical mistake of skipping the house garlic bread ($5.95), which might seem redundant before pizza and pasta. But trust us — it's perfect when pulled from that wood-burning oven. Bonus: Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. all week. For calming Italian cravings without breaking the bank, Spartico is a trattoria safe house.