Scotto's Rigatoni Grill, Ashburn

Though its name highlights one type of pasta, Scotto's Rigatoni Grill gives diners a veritable library of them. Spaghetti, penne, fettuccine, gnocchi, and housemade meat lasagna emerge steaming from the kitchen, which peeks into the dining room from an open window that provides a view of the chefs at work. Rigatoni specials still have a place on the menu, though: there's rigatoni with chicken and garlic, rigatoni with marinara and mushrooms, and the Rigatoni Carciofo—a medley of chicken, artichoke, capers, and wine in a lemon-butter sauce.

Diners can also peruse a list of veal and chicken entrees, such as the breaded pollo parmigiana, or select one of 15 gourmet pizzas. The Quattro Stagioni, for example, arrives dressed in olives, prosciutto, and basil, whereas a seafood pie boasts shrimp, clams, mussels, and mozzarella cheese painstakingly milked from tiny seahorses. For offsite dining, catering trays can satiate dozens of mouths with helpings of bruschetta and baked ziti.