The Big Cheese, Homestead

Either of The Big Cheese's two locations may appear to be any old pizzeria, but the work in the kitchen tells a bigger story. Whether making thin-crust pepperoni pizza, Chicago-style deep dish, or spinach lasagna, cooks use ingredients worthy of an upscale Italian restaurant, as if plucked straight from the garden hidden under every master chef's toque.

The Big Cheese imports fresh mozzarella from Wisconsin, pear tomatoes from farms in San Joaquin Valley, California, and pasta all the way from Italy. With these and other upscale items, the cooks make meals fresh to order—which servers then pair with wine and beer from names such as Miami Brewing Company. It's this sort of commitment to quality that has kept The Big Cheese around for more than three decades.