Italienne

There’s an old-world beauty to Italienne, a restaurant that blends the cuisines of Northern Italy and Southern France (the name is French for “Italian”). An informal taverna occupies the front half, offering an à la carte menu of Venetian-style seafood dishes, cured meats, cheese, salads and crunchy crostini. Chef Jared Sippel’s four-course prix fixe menu, which changes seasonally, is featured in the handsome back dining room. Possibilities include lobster vichyssoise, tortelli with sweet onion and leeks, and loup de mer with crosnes (small, nutty tubers). The extensive French and Italian wine list has fabulous choices by the glass.