The Corner Table

The cacio e pepe is the real thing, peppery and glossy and gone in about four minutes. Our server remembered us from last spring, which says everything. This is the rare neighborhood spot that actually feels like the neighborhood.

Came in on a rainy Tuesday without a reservation and they still found us a corner two-top by the window. We started with the burrata and warm focaccia, then split the short rib pappardelle and the branzino, and every plate landed better than the last. The wine list is short but smart, and our server steered us to a Barbera by the glass that fit the meal perfectly. Dessert was a tiramisu that tastes homemade because it is. We have already booked again for my wife's birthday.

We hosted my father's retirement dinner in the back room and the staff treated it like a family occasion. The lasagna al forno disappeared first, which tells you exactly what to order. Warm, unhurried, genuinely kind service from start to finish.

Busy Friday night, so the kitchen took a little while, but the arancini and the tagliatelle bolognese were worth every minute of the wait. Ask for the patio if the weather is kind.

I grew up on Sunday gravy at my nonna's table and I do not say this lightly: the ragu here is close. The bread arrives warm, the olive oil is the good stuff, and nobody ever rushes you out. The espresso at the end was pulled properly, which almost never happens anymore. Five stars, and I would hand over a sixth for the meatballs alone.

First date spot turned anniversary spot. The gnocchi are pillowy, the candlelight does half the romancing, and the service is warm without ever hovering.