Venticello

1257 Taylor Street Cuisines: Italian

About

This charming hideaway of a restaurant is an elegant place to dine on Italian cuisine that is prepared with care and served up by a staff that is as warm as the traditional Pizza Margherita is fresh from the oven. The decor is straight from an upscale Italian farmhouse with tiles and dark wood everywhere. The menu changes daily, but there are always a few hearty pasta dishes from which to choose along with ragouts of either rabbit or duck. The Roast Chicken is particularly good. For dessert, there is the now ubiquitous Tiramisu, done well here, but worth passing up for the panna cotta, a decadently rich sweet cream sauce served over seasonal fruit. The wine list features Italian and some California vintages.