It seems like Miami Beach has seen as many grand openings for Italian restaurants as it has for luxury condos over the past year, but a place with a water-buffalo theme and a prime South Beach address stands out from the crowd.

Fratelli la Bufala (literally ''the buffalo brothers''; FLB for short) blew into town in the wake of Hurricane Wilma. It provides a casual setting for all things made of buffalo including cheeses, meats, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas. The concept has been a big hit in Europe, where there are more than 20 FLBs from Caserta to Barcelona and Rome to London.

The hitch here is that U.S. law prohibits meat imports from Italy, so manager and co-owner Adelchi Mancusi is using buffalo meat raised on a Seminole Indian ranch near Gainesville.

The idea of consuming the shaggy beast may not appeal to some, but the corner spot at Fifth Street and Washington Avenue sure is inviting, with floor-to-ceiling picture windows, polished wood floors and bright white walls. Murals of buffaloes and kitschy Warhol-style oil paintings of the fratelli from the '70s give the place a young, hip feel.

The compact menu is enticing too, with five salads and as many antipasti and soups, as well as a few grilled dishes and a dozen pastas. Nearly all are made with buffalo meat or buffalo-milk cheese, including a grapefruit-size, one-pound ball covered in oregano.

That brings us to another hitch. The press material says FLB ships in buffalo mozzarella from Campania twice weekly, but I must have been there on the wrong days. Though clearly authentic, the snowy white orb was disappointingly rubbery on the outside and mealy in the center with a slightly sour bite. Having spent time up to my elbows in hot, cloudy water stretching and pulling mounds of curd, I'm picky when it comes to the freshness factor.

Once the cheese is grated onto pizzas, however, it's a different story. I can't think of another local restaurant other than Vita that employs a real pizzaiola, a Neapolitan pizza maker raised in the centuries-old tradition of perfect pies.

Baked in a dome-shaped wood-burning oven, FLB's puffy-crusted pizzas are excellent. The dough is just thin enough in the center to be cooked through, and the edges are toasty and scorched with just a hint of black from the stone oven. Dozens of topping choices range from simple pepperoni and potatoes to a more exotic tuna and onions.

They are complemented by a fine selection of Italian wines, especially from southern producers in Puglia and Sicily. More than a dozen by-the-glass options include a serviceable $6 chianti from Tuscany.

Salads are large and varied (all contain cheese), but could use sprucing up under cold water. One standout is a young, fresh arugula with a delightfully peppery edge tamed by a mild Italian vinaigrette and hunks of soft mozzarella.

Other antipasti include a selection of marinated eggplant, zucchini and peppers and, of course, more cheeses. Thick, simple chickpea soup and minestrone are hearty and warming on a winter's night, and a welcome choice for vegetarians or those who may have had enough cheese for one day.

Carnivores should be pleased with the buffalo steak. Be sure to ask for the filet without the slab of smoky mozzarella on top so you can enjoy the slightly gamy flavor of the meat, juicy and pink at the center and charred outside.

Combined with deftly cooked pasta, the buffalo meat takes on sublime dimensions in a superb tagliatelle Bolognese. The ragu of tiny carrots, onions and the flavorful meat is worth a trip in itself. The dense and meaty lasagne is also a worthy choice.

Less successful was the breaded meatball doré (''golden'') in a Parmesan-cheese basket. It was dry and tasteless, even with a heap of salt.

Bread is luscious pizza-like focaccia seasoned with oregano, garlic and olive oil.

A milky, pannacotta-like cheese tart with a wild cherry sauce and an espresso-spiked tiramisu were satisfying endings to the meal. A table of indecisive sweet tooths could do worse than sharing a tasting platter of all six desserts for just $10.