Spina

This popular no-reservation pasta bar in Atwater Village comes from Pablo Cruz, an alum of  Terra/Eataly, L’Antica da Michele and Terroni. From an open kitchen seemingly the size of a postage stamp, Cruz pulls off an ambitious, slightly inconsistent menu of appetizers, housemade pastas, grilled mains and desserts that beats out most of L.A.’s more established mid-tier Italian options. Wine lovers will appreciate the unique bottle list and handful of by-the-glass selections; for everyone else, there are $12 Aperol spritzes and a compelling booze-free house spicy lemonade. The pasta-focused menu includes a standout squid ink linguine, prepared multiple ways (seabass is the regular, but you might find lobster and crab on the specials menu), an umami-forward cacio e pepe and dutiful renditions of lamb ragú and pasta al scarpariello, a cheese-forward version of pomodoro. The night I visited, I enjoyed the Delmonico alla griglia, perfectly seared to medium-rare, but the oversalted rapini on the side killed my appetite. My squid ink linguine was also accompanied by overcooked lobster. What revived my tastebuds by night’s end, however, was Spina’s creamy yet delicate tiramisu—a truly standout version of the ubiquitous espresso-laced dessert.