Comfortable yet upscale, this courtyard Italian restaurant is a Laurel Heights favorite.

The Scene
Walk in past the plant shop and beauty salon to find a pretty little courtyard patio fronting a bustling, low-ceilinged dining room, complete with a pint-sized bar. A clientele of well-heeled city dwellers flock here on sunny days for elegant outdoor dining, and tables fill up fast, even on weekday nights.

The Food
Deep-fried green olives oozing melted mozzarella are worth an extra hour at the gym, as is a chubby portobello mushroom stuffed with chewy, herby sausage bits. Well-made polenta, awash in savory pea-studded gravy, is topped with fatty but succulent short ribs--a better choice for meat eaters than dry grilled lamb over a greasy square of potato gratin. Pasta swirled with pesto and sauteed vegetables is a reliable standard. For dessert, forget the cannoli and go straight for hot honey-glazed doughnuts served with a creamy vanilla gelato shake.