Gusto! Ristorante Italiano

For authentic tastes of the Piedmont, this friendly, intimate dining room in the heart of Little Italy is the next best thing to an actual trip to the land of olive oil and garlic. Big flavors -- in such dishes as rack of lamb in a fruity fig-and-port reduction; long-boned veal chops, brushed with woodsy essence of porcini mushrooms; and homemade pappardelle, in sweet-tart Bolognese-style tomato sauce, made from freshly ground boar's meat and seasoned with garlic, rosemary, Chianti, and black pepper -- shake up the palate the way Carlo Rizzo rattles a tambourine. And then, when avuncular proprietor Ricardo Salerno strolls by, his fingers dancing across the keys of his accordion . . . well, this may be the Midwest, and you may not be Italian, but we'll promise you one thing: That's amore! Click here for a video tour of Gusto Ristorante Italiano.