Al Di La is a charming neighborhood trattoria decorated with antiques and crowded with candlelit tables of locals laughing and inhaling the delicious Venetian cuisine. It is owned by a husband-wife team (he runs the room, she is in the kitchen) who have amassed a strong fan base, making lines inevitable. But patience will pay off, as the daily changing menu from chef Anna Klinger (Lespinasse and San Francisco's La Folie) includes stunning antipasti like grilled sardines with fennel; magnificent pastas like poppy-seeded sweet beet ravioli; and savory main courses like braised rabbit over polenta and roasted monkfish with lemon-rosemary escarole.

Al Di La Trattoria Information:

• Italian menu. Dinner. Closed Sun. Bar. Casual attire. Reservations recommended. Valet parking.