63 editor-picked italian restaurants across 23 cities.
A guide to italian restaurants worth a trip, by city. We list operators, signature dishes, and the rooms locals book first.
Toscanini has been Amsterdam's reference Italian since 1985, a Jordaan room running its own bread, its own pasta, and a list weighted toward small producers.
Signature: Hand-rolled pasta, Bistecca, Tiramisu
Order: Whatever the pasta of the day is; the bread basket is also their own bake.
Tip: Reserve two weeks out for weekends. The room is loud, in the best Italian-trattoria sense.
Vicio on Bilderdijkstraat is the Amsterdam Sicilian pasta room, professional pasta makers from Sicily turning out busiate, ravioli and a daily-changing fresh-pasta board.
Signature: Hand-made fresh pasta, Sicilian busiate, Cannoli
Order: Whatever the fresh pasta of the day is, with a Sicilian wine pour to match.
Tip: Small room, books up fast on weekends. Lunch is the quieter window.
Caldi e Freddi on Spuistraat is the Amsterdam Italian deli-trattoria you walk past once and book the next week, a tight room with fresh pasta and a wine list to match.
Signature: Fresh pasta of the day, Antipasti spread
Order: Whichever pasta is fresh that day; ask the counter to name the ragù.
Tip: Lunch is a counter scene; dinner is small-room booking.
Sammie's Italian in Austin is McGuire Moorman's downtown red-sauce room on West 6th, an old-school Italian-American card with veal and a martini bar.
Signature: Chicken parmesan, Veal saltimbocca, Tiramisu
Order: The veal saltimbocca and a Sammie's martini to start; pasta course is family-style.
Tip: The bar runs walk-in service; the dining room books a week out and goes faster on Friday nights.
Mamma Maria on North Square is the North End's fine-dining anchor in Boston, in a five-room brick townhouse since 1973. Northern Italian pastas, Tuscan game and a Barolo-heavy list.
Signature: Pappardelle with wild boar ragu, Veal osso buco
Order: The pappardelle bolognese; the kitchen makes the pasta in-house.
Tip: Book the upstairs Library room for a quiet conversation. The Sunday family menu at 17:00 is the easy walk-in seat.
Giacomo's on Hanover Street has run a no-reservations Italian-American room in Boston's North End since 1985. Cash-only, big portions, line around the block by 18:00 most nights.
Signature: Lobster ravioli, Fra diavolo
Order: Lobster ravioli with vodka sauce, the house signature.
Tip: Arrive by 17:30 to skip the longest wait. Cash only, BYOB welcomed from the wine shops on Salem Street.
Damien DiPaola named Carmelina's after his mother and runs it on Hanover Street as a regional Italian kitchen in Boston since 2012. Sicilian and Roman pastas, family-style portions.
Signature: Sunday gravy, Tortellini al pesto
Order: The carbonara pasta with smoked pancetta and pecorino.
Tip: Reservations open four weeks ahead on OpenTable. The bar is the easier walk-in seat at 17:30 weekdays.
Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette's Italian enoteca on Shawmut Avenue runs house-made charcuterie and Roman pastas in Boston's South End since 2009. Natural-wine list, 36 seats.
Signature: Charcuterie board, Cacio e pepe pizza
Order: The charcuterie board, all five cuts, with the bagna cauda.
Tip: The marble counter is the better solo seat. Walk in at 17:00 for the easy table.
Chris and Pam Willis run Pammy's as a New American-Italian trattoria between Central and Harvard Squares in Cambridge since 2017. Michelin Bib Gourmand, a 36-seat counter.
Signature: Bolognese with house tagliatelle, Lumache cacio e pepe
Order: The tagliatelle bolognese with brown-butter aged parmesan.
Tip: Resy opens 30 days ahead and the room fills the same minute. Counter walk-ins from 17:30 weekdays.
Giacomo's on Hanover Street has run no-reservations Italian-American in Boston's North End since 1985. Cash only, big portions, sidewalk line by 18:00.
Signature: Lobster ravioli, Veal parmigiana
Order: Lobster ravioli with vodka sauce, the house signature.
Tip: Cash only. The line moves fast at 17:30 weekdays; weekends run 45 minutes.
The Daily Catch on Hanover Street has run Paul Freddura's Sicilian seafood kitchen in Boston's North End since 1973. 20 seats, open kitchen, squid-ink pasta is the house signature.
Signature: Calamari meatballs, Squid-ink black pasta
Order: Black pasta aglio olio, hand-ground squid-ink linguine with chopped calamari.
Tip: Twenty seats; the line forms by 18:00. The new takeout window two doors down at 331 Hanover skips the wait.
Damien DiPaola's Carmelina's on Hanover Street has run regional Italian in Boston's North End since 2012. Reservations available, family-style sharing, all-Italian wine list under $80.
Signature: Sunday gravy, Carbonara
Order: The carbonara with smoked pancetta and pecorino, the kitchen signature.
Tip: OpenTable bookings four weeks ahead. Sunday lunch family gravy at 13:00 is the easy seat.
Wild Olive on Johns Island has run handmade pasta and Italian-Lowcountry plates from a converted barn on Maybank Highway since 2009. Chef Jacques Larson's first restaurant.
Signature: House-made pasta, Wood-fired meats
Order: Whatever house pasta the kitchen is running tonight; rotates with the season.
Tip: Reservations required almost every night. Book at wildolive.com.
Wild Olive on Johns Island has run handmade pasta and Italian-Lowcountry plates from a converted barn on Maybank Highway since 2009. Jacques Larson's first restaurant.
Signature: House-made pasta, Wood-fired meats
Order: Whatever house pasta the kitchen is running tonight.
Tip: Reservations required almost every night.
Christian Puglisi's Bæst on Guldbergsgade in Nørrebro pulls sourdough pizzas from a wood oven, cures its own charcuterie, makes mozzarella from Danish milk.
Signature: Sourdough pizza, House-cured charcuterie, Buffalo mozzarella
Order: The Margherita with house mozzarella, plus a plate of charcuterie from the in-house salumeria.
Tip: Reserve weekend evenings online. The 18:00 service is easier than the 20:00 turn.
Christian Puglisi's Bæst on Guldbergsgade in Nørrebro pulls wood-oven sourdough pizzas, cures its own charcuterie and makes mozzarella from Danish milk.
Signature: Sourdough pizza, House charcuterie
Order: The Margherita with house mozzarella plus a plate of charcuterie from the salumeria.
Tip: Book weekend evenings online. The 18:00 service is easier than the 20:00 turn.
Tavernetta in Denver is Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson's regional Italian dining room in Union Station's Crawford Hotel, the sister to Boulder's Frasca since 2017.
Signature: Hand-cut pastas, Wood-grilled lamb, Tagliatelle al ragu
Order: The tagliatelle al ragu and any whole-fish course; the pasta is made by hand each morning by Carlo Alberto Mascia.
Tip: Book the chef's counter for a view of the pasta station. The Italian-only wine list runs deep on Friuli and Piemonte growers.
Bar Dough in Denver is Max MacKissock's wood-fired pizza and pasta room in Highland since 2015, with a Neapolitan-trained oven and house-made pastas.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Cacio e pepe, Burrata
Order: The cacio e pepe and a Margherita pizza; the kitchen runs daily seasonal pasta specials.
Tip: Walk-in at the bar usually works; the patio is busy on summer weekends. Brunch on Sunday with carbonara is a draw.
Osteria Marco in Denver is Frank Bonanno's basement-set Italian room on Larimer Square since 2007, with house-pulled mozzarella and a wood-fired pizza counter.
Signature: Mozzarella plate, Pizza, Mussels
Order: The house mozzarella plate (pulled to order) and a pizza; the cocktail bar runs a strong negroni list.
Tip: Larimer Square is a 5-minute walk from Union Station. The mozzarella class runs Sunday afternoons in 2026.
Etto on Merrion Row in Dublin, Liz Matthews and Simon Barrett's Italian-leaning Bib Gourmand wine bar, the city's best by-the-glass list at the counter.
Signature: Mackerel crudo, Hand-rolled pasta, Cheese course
Order: The mackerel and whatever fresh pasta is on, with a Sicilian white from the by-the-glass list.
Tip: Three counter seats by the open kitchen are first-come; the rest is reservation. Book through the website not OpenTable.
Borgo on Phibsborough Road in Dublin 7, Sean Crescenzi and Jamie McCarthy's neighbourhood osteria, a 2026 Bib Gourmand inside a former bank room.
Signature: Hake aqua pazza, Hand-rolled pasta, Tiramisu
Order: The hake with confit datterini tomatoes and borlotti beans, the dish the Michelin inspectors flagged.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday dinner; the early window at 17:30 is the easier book. The bar counter sits four for walk-ins.
Drury Buildings on Drury Street in Dublin, a three-floor Italian-leaning dining room and cocktail bar built into the William Fry warehouse, a southside staple.
Signature: Crab linguine, Wood-fired pizza, Tiramisu
Order: Crab linguine and a Negroni Sbagliato from the rooftop bar before dinner.
Tip: Roof terrace opens summer only; book the first-floor dining room with a window onto Drury Street for two.
Victor and Carina Contini's George Street dining room in Edinburgh, opened in 2004 in the former Lloyds Bank, an Italian-Scottish bistro serving Mediterranean.
Order: The Contini meatballs, the Sicilian sea bass and a glass of the Continis' own-import Etna Rosso.
Tip: The high tea at 15:00 to 17:00 is a quieter alternative; Sunday family lunch is a long-running tradition.
Da Marco in Houston is Marco Wiles's Italian dining room on Westheimer since 2002, with hand-rolled pastas, a salt-baked branzino and Houston's most serious Italian wine list.
Signature: Tagliatelle al ragu, Branzino al sale
Order: Whatever pasta is on the daily blackboard. The salt-baked branzino if available.
Tip: Sit upstairs in the smaller dining room. The downstairs window seats are the loudest in the house.
Fiorentina on Grodzka in Kraków's Old Town is the Tuscan-inspired room with a vaulted red-brick ceiling. Dry-aged bistecca alla Fiorentina; deep Italian wine list.
Signature: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, Hand-rolled pasta
Order: The bistecca for two with a Brunello by the bottle, and the gnudi as a starter.
Tip: The bistecca needs ordering in advance; closed Sunday. Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition.
Ferraro's Italian in Las Vegas is the Ferraro family room since 1985, a long-running Paradise Road Italian dining room with one of the deepest wine cellars off the Strip.
Signature: Osso buco Milanese, Linguini with clams, Wine list of 1500 labels
Order: The osso buco Milanese with saffron risotto; on the menu since opening day.
Tip: The wine cellar holds 1,500 labels; the staff sommelier will route a pairing menu on request.
Ferraro's Italian in Las Vegas is the Ferraro family room since 1985, a Paradise Road dining room with one of the deepest wine cellars off the Strip and an old-school tableside menu.
Signature: Osso buco Milanese, Linguini with clams, Tiramisu
Order: Osso buco Milanese with saffron risotto; on the menu since opening day.
Tip: 1,500 wine labels in the cellar; ask for the sommelier to route a pairing menu.
Ruth Rogers's Italian dining room on the Thames in Hammersmith London, opened 1987 by Rose Gray and Rogers, still the city's defining seasonal Italian restaurant. Michelin one-starred.
Signature: Tagliatelle with white truffle, Chocolate nemesis
Order: Whatever pasta dish is on the daily-changing menu, and the chocolate nemesis for two.
Tip: Sit on the riverside terrace in summer. The lunch sitting from 12:30 is markedly cheaper than dinner with the same kitchen.
Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda's hand-rolled pasta counter at Borough Market in London, opened 2016, runs a daily-changing list of fresh-pasta plates and a walk-in queue.
Signature: Pici cacio e pepe, Pappardelle with eight-hour beef shin ragu
Order: Pici cacio e pepe and the pappardelle with eight-hour beef shin ragu.
Tip: Join the virtual queue at 12:00 sharp via their app for the first lunch slots; otherwise expect a 60-minute wait on Saturday.
Chris Leach and David Carter's whole-animal Italian dining room on Curtain Road in Shoreditch London, opened 2021, charcuteries pork in-house and rolls pasta to order.
Signature: Pig's head fritti, Cacio e pepe rigatoni
Order: Pig's head fritti, cacio e pepe rigatoni and a glass from the all-Italian wine list.
Tip: Bar seats and the counter overlooking the open kitchen take walk-ins. Tables book a month ahead through Resy.
The Clove Club team's neighbourhood Italian on St John Street in Clerkenwell London, opened 2016, runs British-Italian seasonal cooking in a tiled dining room and bar.
Signature: Parmesan fries, Tagliolini al limone
Order: Parmesan fries with truffle mayo, tagliolini al limone and a Negroni from the bar.
Tip: Sit at the bar for the four-course tasting menu at half the dining-room price. Lunch books at three days, dinner at three weeks.
Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis's Arts District room set the tone for downtown LA's modern Italian cooking in 2012 and still pulls bookings six weeks out.
Signature: Cavatelli alla Norcina, Bone-marrow pizza
Order: Cavatelli alla Norcina with house pork sausage and black truffle.
Tip: Book six weeks out for prime time; bar seats walk-in only from 17:30, and the menu is the same as the dining room.
Evan Funke's Venice pasta room rolls every shape by hand in a glass-walled laboratorio. Felix Trattoria is the busiest dinner reservation on Abbot Kinney.
Signature: Cacio e pepe, Mafaldine alla Genovese
Order: Cacio e pepe finished tableside in a wheel of pecorino.
Tip: Reservations open 30 days out and disappear in the first hour; counter seats overlooking the pasta room are walk-in from 17:00.
Boia De in Miami is the Michelin-starred 24-seat Italian counter at 5205 NE 2nd Ave, glowing under a neon exclamation mark in a Buena Vista strip mall.
Signature: Bone marrow with anchovy, Cacio e pepe, Crudo of the day
Order: The bone marrow toast with anchovy, then a pasta off the chalkboard.
Tip: Reservations open one month ahead on Resy and vanish in minutes. Walk in at 5pm and try for the bar.
Macchialina in Miami Beach is Michael Pirolo's rustic Italian taverna at 820 Alton Road, open in South Beach since 2012 and built on house-made pasta.
Signature: Tagliatelle bolognese, Tonnarelli cacio e pepe, Burrata with confit tomatoes
Order: Tagliatelle bolognese with the slow-cooked meat ragu.
Tip: Sidewalk tables for breeze, dining room for noise; the Italian wine list runs deeper than the menu suggests.
Macchialina in Miami Beach is Michael Pirolo's rustic Italian taverna at 820 Alton Road, open in South Beach since 2012 with house-made pasta as the spine.
Signature: Tagliatelle bolognese, Tonnarelli cacio e pepe, Burrata
Order: Tagliatelle bolognese with the slow-cooked meat ragu.
Tip: Sidewalk tables for breeze, dining room for noise; the Italian wine list runs deeper than the menu suggests.
Isaac Becker's Bar La Grassa on Washington Avenue has run the North Loop's defining Italian in Minneapolis since 2009. James Beard Best Chef Midwest 2011.
Signature: Soft egg and lobster bruschetta, Gnocchi with cauliflower
Order: Soft egg and lobster bruschetta and the gnocchi with cauliflower.
Tip: Bar walk-ins open at 17:00; the bruschetta menu prints 12 options daily. Order three to share.
Luke Shimp's Red Rabbit on Washington Avenue has run a North Loop Italian-American room in Minneapolis since 2017. Wood-fired pizza, cacio e pepe, full bar.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Cacio e pepe
Order: The pepperoni pizza and the cacio e pepe with toasted breadcrumbs.
Tip: Happy hour 15:00 to 17:00 weekdays runs $5 pizzas at the bar.
The Broder family's Pasta Bar at 50th and Penn has run a Southwest Minneapolis Italian since 1994. Hand-cut pasta, deli across the street, the city's pasta school.
Signature: Hand-cut pasta, Gnocchi
Order: House-made tagliatelle bolognese and the gnocchi al pesto.
Tip: Walk-ins only; line forms by 17:30. Broders' Cucina deli across the street is the takeaway alternative.
Mario Gamba's Acquarello in Munich Bogenhausen has held a Michelin star since 2000 on cucina del sole; the Italian list runs over 1,000 labels in the cellar.
Signature: Tasting menu, Risotto course
Order: Whichever risotto is on the carte plus the chef's tasting menu.
Tip: Lunch is a quieter and cheaper way in than dinner; the wine cellar tour is available for groups.
Osteria Italiana on Munich's Schellingstrasse has been the city's grand Italian since 1890; the dining room runs ceiling frescoes, classic pasta and Tuscan meats.
Order: The handmade pasta of the day and the Florentine bistecca for two.
Tip: Reservations by telephone only; Sundays closed.
Philip Krajeck's casual East Nashville sibling to Rolf and Daughters opened in 2018, running naturally leavened pizza and a vegetable-forward menu with natural wine.
Signature: Naturally leavened pizza, Vegetable plates
Order: The mushroom pizza and whatever bitter green is currently on the menu.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays. Walk-in seats at the long marble bar are the best move on a weeknight.
Tony and Cathy Mantuano's Joseph Hotel Italian restaurant in Nashville opened August 2020 with refined regional cooking, awarded a Michelin Star in 2025.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Whole grilled fish
Order: Pasta tasting and the whole fish; pair with the Italian-leaning wine list.
Tip: The espresso bar on the ground floor serves the same kitchen at half the price for an aperitivo.
Tony Mantuano's Joseph Hotel Italian room in downtown Nashville opened August 2020 with refined regional Italian cooking, awarded a Michelin Star in 2025.
Order: Pasta tasting paired with a deep regional Italian wine list.
Tip: The espresso bar on the ground floor serves casual antipasti at half the price; counter seats welcome walk-ins.
Philip Krajeck's Germantown Italian-American kitchen in Nashville earned a Michelin Recommended listing in 2025 for its handmade pastas and wood-fired plates.
Order: Squid ink chitarra with octopus and chickpea, plus seasonal vegetable plate.
Tip: Reservations on Resy 30 days out; the bar takes walk-ins from 17:00 and serves the same menu.
The two Franks have served Brooklyn-Italian on Court Street in New York City since 2004: handmade pastas, escarole salad, sausage cavatelli in a garden out back.
Signature: Cavatelli with hot sausage, Meatballs
Order: Cavatelli, hot sausage, brown butter and sage.
Tip: Sit in the garden in warm weather. The meatballs over polenta is the second pick if cavatelli has sold out.
Jody Williams and Rita Sodi's Grove Street West Village room serves Tuscan-leaning food in New York City. No reservations; the line outside is its own institution.
Signature: Insalata verde, Cacio e pepe
Order: Insalata verde, cacio e pepe, chocolate budino.
Tip: Walk in at 17:00 sharp for the first seating, or join the list around 20:30 for the second wave.
Major Food Group's red-sauce Italian-American room on Thompson Street in New York City turns 1950s tableside service into theatre. Spicy rigatoni vodka is the order.
Signature: Spicy rigatoni vodka, Veal parmesan
Order: Spicy rigatoni vodka and the veal parmesan to share.
Tip: Reservations are notorious; the bar runs walk-ins from 17:30 and serves the full menu. Don't skip the Caesar.
Chef Stefano Secchi's Flatiron pasta room runs Emilian hand-rolled pastas in New York City: tortellini in brodo, anolini, gramigna. Michelin star since 2022.
Signature: Tortellini in brodo, Tour of Emilia tasting
Order: The Tour of Emilia: five hand-rolled pastas, $98.
Tip: Reservations open 28 days out on Resy. The bar runs walk-ins from 17:30 and serves the same pasta tour.
Spaghetti Incident on Eldridge runs a 30-seat pasta room in the Lower East Side, New York City. Cacio e pepe, vongole, carbonara, BYOB on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Signature: Cacio e pepe, Spaghetti vongole
Order: Spaghetti alla chitarra cacio e pepe.
Tip: BYOB nights save the bill significantly. Reservations are easy if you sit at 18:00.
Racines in Paris's Passage des Panoramas pours an Italian-leaning natural-wine list and serves hand-rolled pasta from Simone Tondo. Twelve tables, all dinner.
Signature: Hand-rolled pasta, Aged beef
Order: Whatever filled pasta is on, a steak with rocket, the panna cotta.
Tip: The Passage des Panoramas closes its gates at night; ring the bell to be let through.
Le Cherche Midi in Paris's 6e is the neighbourhood Italian trattoria the Saint-Germain set treats as a canteen. Hand-rolled pasta cooked to order, daily.
Signature: Hand-rolled pasta, Tiramisu
Order: Whatever filled pasta is on the daily menu, the tiramisu, a glass of Sangiovese.
Tip: Open seven days. Lunch is the steal; the prix fixe lands under €25 with coffee.
An intimate Tuscan and Central Italian room in downtown Portland with handmade pastas, a focused wine list and dinner reservations that book a week ahead.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Branzino
Order: The pici cacio e pepe
Tip: Dinner only, closed Sunday and Monday. The wine list runs deep on Italian regions you can't find elsewhere in Portland.
Marino Bistrot on Poznańska 50/2 in Jeżyce, Poznań is a Polish-Italian family room with chef-owner Livio Marino on the pass, an exposed-brick basement and a 2024+2025 Michelin Guide recommendation.
Signature: Gnocchi z gorgonzolą i gruszką, Makaron domowy, Tiramisu
Order: Gnocchi with gorgonzola, pear and walnuts.
Tip: There is no pizza. Come for the pastas and the seafood mains; the dessert is the tiramisu.
Davanti Enoteca in San Diego is the Scott Harris Hospitality Italian trattoria on India Street, a Northern Italian wine-bar room with house-made pasta and the Genoese focaccia di Recco.
Signature: Burrata with honeycomb, Cacio e pepe, Focaccia di Recco
Order: The focaccia di Recco with stracchino cheese; the cacio e pepe is the canonical secondi.
Tip: Walk-ins are taken at the bar; book the patio for warmer nights and the Saturday Mercato crowd-watching.
Cesarina in San Diego is Cesarina Mezzoni's Point Loma trattoria on Voltaire Street, a glass-walled pastificio where you can watch hand-rolled eggless pasta being made through the window.
Signature: Handmade tagliatelle, Tortelli di zucca, Eggless pasta
Order: The tortelli di zucca with butter and sage; the tagliatelle al ragu finished tableside.
Tip: The eggless dough is unusual; ask for it explicitly if you want the canonical Cesarina experience.
Davanti Enoteca in San Diego is Scott Harris Hospitality's Northern Italian wine bar on India Street, with house-made pasta and the rare Genoese focaccia di Recco.
Signature: Burrata with honeycomb, Cacio e pepe, Focaccia di Recco
Order: The focaccia di Recco with stracchino cheese; the cacio e pepe as the secondi.
Tip: Walk-ins are taken at the bar; book the patio for warmer nights and Saturday Mercato crowd-watching.
Cesarina in San Diego is Cesarina Mezzoni's Point Loma trattoria on Voltaire Street, a glass-walled pastificio where hand-rolled eggless pasta is made through the window.
Signature: Handmade tagliatelle, Tortelli di zucca, Eggless pasta
Order: Tortelli di zucca with butter and sage; the tagliatelle al ragu finished tableside.
Tip: The eggless dough is unusual; ask for it explicitly if you want the canonical Cesarina experience.
Che Fico in San Francisco is David Nayfeld's Roman-leaning Italian on Divisadero, with Roman-Jewish artichokes, real Vesuvian pizza and a long Italian wine list.
Signature: Pizza alla diavola, Carbonara, Roman-Jewish artichokes
Order: Roman-Jewish artichokes in spring, the pizza alla diavola otherwise.
Tip: The downstairs Che Fico Alimentari is the lunch counter with the same pasta at half the price.
Cotogna in San Francisco is Michael Tusk's casual Italian next to three-star Quince, with a wood oven turning out pizza and a Piedmontese pasta board.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Tagliatelle bolognese, Roast chicken
Order: The agnolotti dal plin with brown butter and sage, on the daily pasta list.
Tip: Walk in at 17:30 for the bar seats; the dining room books two weeks ahead.
Delfina in San Francisco is Craig and Annie Stoll's Mission trattoria, open since 1998, with a Tuscan-leaning pasta board and a roast chicken benchmark.
Signature: Spaghetti with plum tomatoes, Roast chicken, Tripe alla fiorentina
Order: Spaghetti with plum tomatoes; the Annie Stoll pasta on the menu since 1998.
Tip: Pizzeria Delfina next door takes walk-ins and serves the same pizza dough; faster on a Friday.
Flour + Water in San Francisco is Thomas McNaughton's Mission pasta-and-pizza house, with a daily handmade pasta board and a Neapolitan oven up front.
Signature: Tasting of pasta, Wood-fired pizza, Whole-grain bread
Order: The 5-course pasta tasting, the room's house format since 2009.
Tip: The pasta tasting is the move; ordering pasta a la carte costs the same and gives you less.
Piccino in San Francisco is the Dogpatch Italian on a yellow corner, with wood-oven pizza, a corner cafe and a wisteria-shaded patio that fills in May.
Signature: Wood-oven pizza, Garganelli, Wood-grilled chicken
Order: Wood-oven mushroom and ricotta pizza, plus the seasonal pasta of the night.
Tip: Brunch the patio in spring; the cafe next door pours the same coffee at half the price.
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