North Miami Beach's 36-seat Mazzi Cucina has the veneer of a hidden gem. It sits in a strip mall near the former location of Yakko-San that today houses favorites such as the Vietnamese spot PhoMi2Go, Filipino restaurant Lutong Pinoy, and Lettuce & Tomato, which is run by a former Epicure chef.

The place is decorated with knickknacks that describe generations of owner Stefano Mazzi's life in Italy. However, in many of Mazzi's dishes, there's barely a hint of a red-blooded Italian in the kitchen. Instead, the majority of them stumble together haphazardly.