WHY Owner Maureen Vincenti’s contagious laugh and doting attention to each guest, plus the house-made porchetta, spit-roasted until it’s a perfectly charred, juicy hunk of pure pork bliss.

WHAT Step inside the elegant dining room, with its marble counters and slick leather banquettes, and it’s clear this isn’t your average homespun trattoria. Chef Nicola Mastronardi turns out gutsy cuisine, such as osso buco tortelloni with wild mushroom sauce and sliced steak with herb ravioli, endive and green peppercorn sauce. For dessert, try one of pastry chef Willy Sifuentes’s creations: a delicious twist on tiramisu, served in a martini glass, or the light, heavenly lemon ricotta cake. This kind of dining experience doesn’t come cheap, but Vincenti is one Italian that’s worth the price.

WHO Well-heeled, well-dressed westsiders.