WHY There are lots of Italian eateries in Brentwood; this one stands out because it’s friendly, homey and has reasonable prices.

WHAT Trieste native Paolo Pasio has the warmth required of a good trattoria owner, and his dining room is inviting and often crowded. His kitchen turns out very fine Italian comfort food: beet salad, burrata with red and yellow tomatoes, buttery whole roasted branzino, delicious lobster risotto, excellent pastas. Our only complaints: weak desserts and the recitation of far too many daily specials to remember.