"This tiny pasta bar from the Vetri team is, in fact, as good as you've heard. And also very hard to get into. If you snag one of the few bar seats inside, you’ll get a view of the cooks making ricotta gnocchi, braised lamb pappardelle, and their legendary sausage rigatoni. Bring some out-of-towners here if you want to impress them while simultaneously ruining all other ravioli they've ever eaten. Don’t let the vintage fixtures fool you—it’s not the old days when slipping a 20 to a server translates to a seat. Here, they open up reservations 30 days in advance while bar seats are held for walk-ins when available. Securing a walk-in spot might be as rare as winning Wonka’s golden ticket, but it’s worth the attempt (otherwise take a 4pm reservation, which is the only time they occasionally have open)." - alison kessler, candis mclean