Hill Country Pasta House, Austin

The chefs at Hill Country Pasta House have no quarrel with traditional Italian food—they whip up as mean a chicken rigatoni as anybody. But mastering classic Italian cooking is a mere stepping stone toward the restaurant's standout fusions of Italian and southwestern flavors. Besides tossing grilled chicken with jalapeño fettuccine and tequila cream sauce, the culinary team lends an extra kick to shrimp diablo by stuffing each bacon-wrapped crustacean with serrano peppers.

A serrano salsa likewise spices up the aptly named serrano pizza, but Hill Country's wood-fired pizzas can also host more common toppings, such as wine mushrooms. In addition to grain-heavy eats, gluten-free options are also available.