"This restaurant’s Cal-Italian menu is beloved by locals who favor the precision and freshness of kampachi crudo with finger lime and micro cilantro or hand-line caught ahi tuna with fresh wasabi and sticky rice cakes. Order the risotto when you sit down — it is a must — and sort out the veggie-protein balance after a gander at the day’s offerings. Feathery gnocchi with Perigord truffle butter is house-made, just like everything else, and makes a fair partner with little gem salad gussied up with tahini and za’atar-draped roasted cauliflower." - Christina Mueller