Cook St. Helena

"You’re almost guaranteed to get treated like an old friend at Cook, where the owners roam the small dining room that’s usually filled to the brim with both locals and tourists. Book ahead for a spot (or grab a first-come, first-serve seat at the counter) and order as much of their fantastic, housemade pasta as you can handle. Every dish is a standout, but the ones that keep us coming back are the spaghetti alle vongole, eggplant parmesan, and the cavatelli all'arrabbiata with sausage. They’re only open Monday through Friday, so plan accordingly." - christina julian

"You’re almost guaranteed to get treated like an old friend at Cook, where the owners roam the small dining room that’s usually filled to the brim with both locals and tourists. Book ahead for a spot (or grab a first-come, first-serve seat at the counter) and order as much of their fantastic, housemade pasta as you can handle. Every dish is a standout, but the ones that keep us coming back are the spaghetti alle vongole, eggplant parmesan, and the cavatelli all'arrabbiata with sausage. They’re only open Monday through Friday, so plan accordingly." - Christina Julian

"Snag a spot at the long, low, white marble bar at this local favorite where you can look right into the open kitchen. The rustic California-style menu offers up dishes like a whole fish and gorgeous heirloom tomatoes that don't need to be served with anything but olive oil. We can get behind that. "