Fiorella Pasta

"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

"Fiorella is where you should spend all night eating pasta until someone tries to kick you out or demand rent. While the Bella Vista pasta bar has outstanding small plates like wild boar terrine with cherries, make no mistake:it’s the pasta you’re here for. If you snag any of the bar seats inside, you’ll have a great view of ricotta gnocchi, chestnut lasagnetta with goose, and their legendary sausage rigatoni being made right in front of you. Bring some out-of-towners here if you want to impress them while simultaneously ruining all other pasta dishes they've ever eaten. Unless your guests are from Italy, of course. 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)." - candis mclean, alison kessler

"Marc Vetri’s Italian Market pasta bar is perennially packed — and for good reason. From creative cocktails like the Dirty Pasta Water Martini to a tight menu full of fantastic small plates and gorgeous house-made pastas, there’s a lot to love about this former butcher shop turned dining destination. You can make reservations for tables indoors or on the covered and heated outdoor patio through Tock." - Ernest Owens

"Fiorella's handmade pastas come in shareable portions as large as Big Foot’s shoe size, so lean on the waiters to recommend how many dishes you should order (we usually go with four). They have seven pasta dishes that range from a lemony, lobster-stuffed conchiglie to pumpernickel pappardelle with duck ragu that has sugary huckleberries sprinkled throughout. Both of those make for great dishes to try in their small dining room or on their outdoor patio on days when the weather doesn’t choose violence. " - candis mclean, alison kessler

"Vetri's neighborhood pasta shop in the Italian Market is tiny but mighty. Although they serve a few pasta dishes we can’t stop thinking about, like a lemony lobster-stuffed conchiglie or pumpernickel pappardelle with duck ragu, it’s the rigatoni with Fiorella sausage that we’d happily eat once a week. The blend of peppery sausage, chewy rounds of pasta, and a savory tomato sauce will even have your out-of-town friend looking at apartment listings in Bella Vista." - candis mclean, alison kessler