"Whether it's dinner with a friend or a hot stranger you met on the Internet, Spina is a great option that doesn’t require much pre-planning. (It’s walk-in only). This small Italian restaurant serves the best pasta in the neighborhood, including ricotta-stuffed ravioli in a brown butter sauce and a deliciously potent spaghetti puttanesca special. The casualness of the room, the garlicky pasta, and the wine list make Spina the spot that every local wants to be a regular at (even if the non-pasta parts of the menu are fine at best). A night at the bar, splitting a bottle of nebbiolo and watching the kitchen toss pasta in the air, is the most romantic date spot in this part of town." - arden shore, sylvio martins, brant cox