"Coming to Lilia in Williamsburg grants you access to a special society: those who have eaten at the city’s most exclusive Italian restaurants. Once you sit down, though, Lilia’s industrial-looking space feels nothing like a glitzy club where diners hope they get blue Instagram checks with dessert—instead, the restaurant is a temple of simplicity in pasta. Besides the occasional addition of shrimp or squid to a fra diavolo, you’ll find bare bones near-perfection here. As an added bonus, you can tell your friends you had your anniversary at Lilia." - bryan kim, kenny yang, will hartman