Gradisca

The cooking of Emilia-Romagna has the spotlight at this low-lit, relaxed joint with warm, welcoming service and family-friendly weekend brunches. Favorite pastas include hand-rolled penne with eggplant and tomato, tagliolini with grilled lobster, and delicate spinach-ricotta gnocchi glossed with sage butter. Piàdina, a quesadillalike regional snack, is highly touted on the menu, but its predictable fillings—prosciutto, tomatoes, spinach—are overwhelmed by melted mozzarella. Instead, splurge on dessert: a warm slice of chocolate torta is bold and intense, and tiramisu is pleasingly smooth.