*****  Cita’s Italian Chophouse Restaurant, 3176 Commodore Plaza, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133 (305) 446-2207.

Cita’s is a combination…”upscale white tablecloth steakhouse- Italian” joint… The food is really good. The service is really good. It is PRICEY and your tee shirt-shorts ensemble isn’t really going to work here. Take a look at Cita’s website www.citasitalianchophouse.com for menu/prices and loads of photos. Great looking joint, with indoor and outdoor patio dining.

Like its brethern in the upscale steak business, this joint has a menu loaded with “$40+” entrees and $8 sides…nothing comes with nothing. That said, if you “watch” what you are doing here, you can have a great meal and not have to apply for food stamps the next day…pasta dishes run $18-$30, meat/chicken/seafood entrees $21-$65. The menu has enough, shall we say… elasticity, so you should be able to “work” the list of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, entrees and not jeporadize your next car payment.

Just so you know…on “taste test day” I left my calculator at home ( I can write this meal off as a business expense) and found the fried calamari, pan seared grouper, veal chop parmigiana, gnocchi and bone-in New York Strip Steak to be delicious.

Based on its prices, I would be foolish to recommend Cita’s as an “every day” joint …but, it’s a real good place to know about, when you want something a bit special.

Cita’s is open for dinner, Sunday-Friday 5pm-11pm, Saturday 5pm-midnight and for brunch on Sunday 10am.