sn't it fun to witness a resurgence? Go ahead and add Cita's to the list of nice restaurants opening in Coconut Grove, until recently a neighborhood oft lamented for its lack of fine dining. Specializing in gourmet Italian food, Cita's Italian Chophouse should be a welcome addition to the area's quickly-developing culinary scene.

The place leans towards the fancy side, but that doesn't mean it's pretentious. Instead, owner Ed Benitez, a long time Coconut Grove resident himself, has opened Cita's with the intention of making it welcoming neighborhood haunt. The candlelit garden patio can easily serve as a romantic place to bring a hot date (and since it's Miami, you've got a wide selection of hot dates), but at the same time it can serve as a nice place to take your family. And with the option of valet parking, this could even be a good place to bring your boss for a high-powered business lunch. I know I'd be impressed if someone parked my car. But only if I asked them to.

As the name might suggest, the main focus is on prime cuts of meat – steaks, pork chops and the like. But that's not to say that that's all that Cita's has to offer. The restaurant also has a wide selection of market-fresh seafood and homemade pastas for you to gorge on. Add to that the extensive list of wines from around the world, and you're on your way to quite the binge-fest. But, y'know, an elegant binge-fest.

The menu is set up like any traditional Italian place. Start with an antipasti, something like the lobster cakes, meatballs with whipped ricotta, or one of the many meats and cheeses. From there you can move onto a primi, preferably one of the many available pasta dishes (all of which are homemade). It's the secundis where Cita's flourishes. Think tender short ribs marinated in Barolo, grilled Atlantic Salmon or one of many different grilled steaks.