2017 is going to end on a culinary high note for me discovering top new entrants and -- I'm going out on a limb here, the best Italian restaurant in Miami. This was welcome after a dry spell in exceptional dining. Last week you read about Sakura736. Now it’s all about Italian cuisine and Forte dei Marmi Miami. I’ve dined at Forte dei Marmi three times in 60 days and I can’t wait to go back. The space was formerly occupied by Cavalli and prior to that Danny Devito’s place, both of which were short lived. Heading up the kitchen is two star Michelin chef Antonio Mellino and his talented son chef Raffaele which right away speaks to the seriousness of the restaurant venture. But sometimes Michelin star cuisine can be precious or too studied. Not so here. It veers to classic cuisine, but with a creative twist and slow food culture, and some totally new dishes here in Miami.