"L’Alquimista is a hidden shrine to fresh pasta. The tiny place is intimate, with a terrace that soaks up perfect sun, and the air always smells like browned butter and truffle.. Chef Mario Tarro turns his grandmother’s Italian recipes into something brilliant—like pillowy ricotta-stuffed pasta in tomato-sage sauce, velvety carbonara that comes out rich and peppery, or a parmesan flan that might send you into a cheese-induced existential crisis. The porchetta piadina, or crispy pork belly wrapped in flatbread with a smear of sharp mustard, is a must. The tasting menu used to be a bottomless dream but is now capped at three skillets—still solid, but ordering à la carte is the move if you want flexibility (and to dodge the pricey wine list). This is the spot for a long, lazy lunch with a bottle of wine, or a weeknight date when you want to feel like you’re in a friend’s Italian kitchen." - David Neimanis