Miami Restaurant Guide

Consistency is something diners desire and -- at least here in fly-by-night Florida -- rarely get. Plus, finding decent Italian food in Miami is about as tough as spotting a woman over 30 at a South Beach club with her God-given equipment intact.

So, when Billante's Restaurants Concepts (Carpaccio, Bella Luna, Trattoria Rosalia, Villagio) opened Luna Café in late September, the foodscape on Biscayne Boulevard made a huge upswing.

And Luna, with its abundance of marble, bustling open kitchen and open-air patio seating, is an exceedingly welcoming spot -- a place to sit awhile and escape.

The staff acts as if everybody is a regular, welcoming most with a hug or a wink even on a first visit. They're happy to make substitutions or ask the kitchen to cook an off-the-menu item, and quick to refill wine and water glasses without prompting or, if you prefer, leave it to you to ask for more.