Tartuca

"The romantic vibes of this Mississippi Italian restaurant fit the menu, where meals begin with oysters on the half shell and end with amaro. Menus change frequently here, but they always involve some lovely pastas — ruffled radiatori with Bolognese, wild boar bucatini, or black truffle campanelle with Dungeness crab. Show-stopping secondis include pork osso buco over silky saffron risotto or herby roast game hen, and a regularly-updated wine list of mainly Italian bottles rounds out the meal." - Eater Staff

"Tartuca’s charming warm lighting and exposed brick walls set the scene for chef Jamie Wilcox’s open kitchen in the center of the space. Arranged like a stage, it’s perfect for viewing from a seat tucked into the front window, as you await charred-crust pizzas with topping combinations like maitake and coppa or pickled garlic scapes with kale and Pecorino. Pastas are also particularly special here, for those hoping to recreate a Lady and the Tramp moment." - Katrina Yentch, Thom Hilton, Brooke Jackson-Glidden

"Couples and small parties hover over antipasti and pastas at this intimate scratch Italian restaurant, where giant slabs of focaccia sit at the end of the chef’s counter, waiting to be sliced to order. Menus here are dictated by what’s in season, but the radiatori is one of its fixtures. The pasta’s squiggly folds are perfectly suited to trap Bolognese, which is complemented with fresh torn basil and a dusting of Parmesan. Gluten-free pasta is available." - Janey Wong

"This intimate Mississippi Italian restaurant began serving brunch in November, following up orders of poached chilled shrimp with focaccia French toast and vegetable hash. Menus change seasonally, so these days, it’s best to start with a maitake mushroom frittata, followed by shrimp and Parmesan polenta or Abenaki corn pancakes with apple cider syrup. The spruce pavlova is a must, its foresty notes tempered by lemon curd and pistachios. Brunch runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Paolo Bicchieri

"This intimate-yet-casual, mid-week-date-night spot in the former Radar space has already cemented itself among the greats of Mississippi. Couples toast barrel-aged Negronis and Sazeracs before nibbling at plates of house-baked focaccia and beef carpaccio with kale, maybe even some burrata with sweet potato and pine nuts. It’s difficult to choose between pizza and pasta with options like bucatini with hakurei turnips and salty miso butter or a pie topped with green garlic and castelvetrano olives. Stop by for brunch on the weekends before boutique visits." - Eater Staff, Thom Hilton