The address may say South Beach, but the food says Northern Italy.

The Scene
Reminiscent of a Lincoln Road restaurant, Joia boasts a stylish exterior that gives way to a tiny, oh-so-chic dining room and expansive covered outdoor patio, cooled by whirring fans and protected from the elements by drop-down plastic curtains. It attracts a mixed clientele of SoBe chic geeks, tourists and regular folks. The staff is probably better-looking than you are but is knowledgeable about the menu as well as surprisingly attentive and efficient.

The Food
Despite its trendy location, there's very little that's trendy about Joia's cuisine, which tends toward clean, simple flavors and straightforward, no-nonsense presentations. Stellar examples are gently cooked calamari in a lusty tomato-based broth, fork-tender veal T-bone in butter-sage sauce and an extraordinary risotto that sings of fresh tomatoes and crab. Less successful is the beef carpaccio, which is overwhelmed by a tart, lemony vinaigrette and gorgeous but bland-tasting tiramisu