By Richard Temple | Contributing Writer

It has been said that food contributes barely 50-percent to the pleasure–or lack of pleasure–of eating in a restaurant. We can all think of places which may not serve the best food in the world, but which we go back to time and again because we enjoy them and they make us feel good. Conversely, we may have the most gastronomically exquisite experience in a restaurant, but never return either because the complete lack of ambience or the drab décor or the complete absence of “buzz”–perhaps all three–leaves us distinctly underwhelmed.

One of my favorite Miami haunts that delivers on all three–and which serves food of a consistently high standard at fair prices–is Toscana Divino in Mary Brickell Village, which has now been open for three years. It’s the type of place where you might eat at least once weekly.

The contemporary Tuscan menu includes such delights as Grilled Octopus with oregano from Calabria, chile, and fresh tomato. The pasta is all homemade, as in the Pici al Sugo d’Anatra, which features pici, a hand-rolled fresh pasta typical of Siena cooked in boiling salted water. The accompanying duck ragu is made by searing duck legs in hot oil and cooking in a vegetable broth with diced carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, dried porcini mushrooms, bay leaves, and orange. When the duck is cooked and cooled, the skin is removed and the meat is picked from the bone and mixed with the cooking liquid. The cooked pici pasta is tossed with the duck ragu, and dressed with grated pecorino cheese and olive oil.

Pici al Sugo

Toscana also makes its own pappardelle for the Pappardelle alla Finocchiona. In this dish, pork shoulder is ground in-house and seasoned with fennel seeds, garlic, salt, and pepper, left to marinate for three days, and then cooked with carrots, onions, and celery with white wine and vegetable broth. A potato is added, which breaks down when cooked and helps give consistency to the ragu. The fresh pappardelle is tossed with the pork ragu, finished with extra virgin olive oil, and pecorino, and dusted with fennel pollen.

The Pappardelle alla Finocchiona

Pasta lovers will also delight in the Risotto di Funghi, which is made with Canaroli (Acquerello) organic rice produced in Italy, and aged for one year in the husk. Toscana cooks it the classic way using mushroom broth and finishes the dish with Parmesan and butter. The accompanying mushrooms are prepared three different ways: sautéed and cooked into the rice; roasted and served on the rice; and raw as a salad with olive oil and Parmesan. Finally, chopped truffle is added to the risotto.

The Risotto di Funghi

Other standout dishes include the Burrata Caprese—colorful heirloom tomatoes arranged with Burrata, seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and garnished with torn pieces of micro-basil garnish–and the Ahi Tuna Loin served with eggplant purée and red pepper confit. The Cacciucco, a rich Tuscan seafood stew, is also a winner. The wine list offers plenty of choice although, as is so often the case with restaurants, some of the wines are still a bit young.

The Burrata Caprese

Toscana has a pretty outside terrace, and a handsome bar just inside the main restaurant where you can enjoy a drink before dinner. Service is friendly and smooth.

The executive chef, Julian Baker, is a Brit, but don’t hold this against him! Baker has worked extensively in Italy where he developed his love of Italian cooking. The GM, Mauro Bortignon–a real charmer–hails from Venice and makes sure that while the menu is genuinely Tuscan, it’s also contemporary.

Try Toscana Divino if you haven’t already. We’ll be surprised if you don’t go back again and again.