San Remo Italian Grill, Cary

At the age of 8, Johnny Pittari was already learning the ins and outs of his father's Italian restaurant. In the intervening years, Pittari has picked up even more tricks of the trade from his father and his master chef cousin, both of whom were born and raised in Naples, before opening San Remo Italian Grill.

A true family affair, the restaurant serves family recipes straight from Italy and prepared in the Old World style. Seared scallops covered in a garlic-butter rosemary sauce nestle next to shrimp risotto, and prosciutto-and-mozzarella-stuffed chicken breast doused in a marsala wine sauce crown a bed of roasted spinach. Pasta also has a starring role on the menu, with design-it-yourself options or classics such as baked lobster ravioli and fettuccine al fredo.

Patrons can dig into the Italian dishes, plus full or by-the-slice pizzas, in the casual dining room, where fresh flowers adorn the green and black tables. They can also head outside to the table-cloth-covered tables on the patio, which stays open all year round unless the government's spy planes are hovering above.