"For 35 years, Il Rifugio in Nuoro, the capital of the Barbagia subregion, has been flawlessly executing traditional cucina Barbaricina recipes. Helmed by father-and-son team Silverio and Francesco Nanu, the place isn’t just a bastion of tradition. Francesco boasts experience in fine dining kitchens in Italy, Australia, and Japan, giving him a penchant for whole-animal and fish butchery, which comes across in dishes like pecora sarda in cassola (braised mutton) and cordedda (roasted lamb innards). Don’t miss the su filindeu, a pasta made from layered, hand-pulled durum wheat cooked until velvety in a mutton broth with cheese." - Katie Parla