Thea Pizzeria

At Thea Pizzeria and Café, rays of sunlight filter through a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. They warm the petite 38-seat café and illuminate scattered pizzas sprinkled with emerald leaves of baby arugula. But despite the chic setting, the restaurant isn't in Wynwood or the Design District. It's in an area west of I-95 better known for medical centers than eateries -- Allapattah. In some ways, the café feels like the ideal location for ladies who lunch. The menu lists niçoise salad and chicken paillard. Roasted beets and toasted walnuts are as prominent here as oregano shakers at a run-of-the-mill pizza joint. Furnishings are charming, and the eatery makes a mean espresso (which is served with a bitty piece of chocolate chip biscotti). But Thea avoids the stereotype. It forgoes high prices, pretentiousness, or any sort of shyness about its undisguised femininity. It's a casual place, ideal for gents who appreciate a cornichon-studded charcuterie platter and ladies who love arugula. The restaurant is owned by Thea Goldman, an ex-partner of Wynwood's Joey's, the eatery that helped launch the burgeoning arts neighborhood. Here, she aspires to develop the dining scene in the fledging Health District.Read our full review.