WHY Penne alla Norma, insalata Farfalla (a salad on a pizza crust), thin-crust pizza with pesto and goat cheese, and good (if pricey) wine by the glass.

WHAT A pioneer in the makeover of Los Feliz, Farfalla has been slinging pasta and Chianti to a constant crowd of regulars for many years, and it’s every bit as good as it was in the early days—and every bit as packed. The kitchen knows how to get a ton of flavor into a very simple dish: say, tagliolini with shrimp or gnocchi with pesto.

WHO Actors, writers, Los Feliz families.