Whether you're in the mood for a delicious Italian meal, a rustic brick oven pizza or a fine glass of wine and a nice variety of small plates, you can find it all at Carmela's Brick Oven Pizza and Wine Bar on Ocean Avenue in Stuart. Owned and operated by the Fatigate family, this cozy restaurant features three distinct dining venues, including a casual family friendly area, an intimate wine bar and a formal dining room.

We visited with two friends on a Wednesday evening, which just happened to be half-price pizza night, one of many summer specials it is featuring. We chose to sit at one of the high-top tables in the wine bar where we shared a small plate of zucchini sticks ($7). The breading was crispy and the zucchini retained its beautiful green color and was tender. A generous sprinkling of Parmesan rounded out the dish.