Up in Highwood, Miramar Bistro is looking more aged than faux-aged these days. I still have a soft spot for the tan stucco walls with big distressed bistro mirrors and authentic New York subway tiles and the mismatched bare wood tables and chairs.

I love being greeted at Miramar by the huge smiles and the dripping candles on every table, no matter the time of day.

It's been not a year since North suburban diners have been so wowed by a new restaurant that it has practically reinvented a major restaurant community. The restaurant is Miramar, at 301 Waukegan Avenue in Highwood.

This lively, bustling French hang from Gabriel Viti (Gabriel's) is well worth the trek up to

Highwood.

A couple of local restauranteurs who grew up on the North Shore recently opened unrelated casual restaurants with fine-dining sensibilities geared to their demanding neighbors.

Compared to its fine-dining predecessors, Miramar is a more casual and accessible dining destination. The decor vaguely reflects the Old World grandeur of Cuba, but ultimately, save for the hoppin' Latin music and the whirling ceiling fans, it's much more classic French bistro than pre-Castro hideaway.