Taberna Restaurant, Fairfield

When opening Taberna Restaurant, Jaime and Daniel Lopez decided to stick with the food that they knew best: tapas and pan-Mediterranean cooking, which they'd started refining at Norwalk favorite La Paella. The chefs draw most of their inspiration from Spanish and Italian recipes while occasionally incorporating flavors from North Africa or closer to home. The resulting presentation and cuisine itself are "gracefully restrained," says the New York Times.

Soft polenta arrives with a simple, savory combination of grilled portobello mushrooms, roasted garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil. The handmade, duck-confit-filled tortellini benefits from the creaminess of fresh ricotta cheese and the aromas of fresh herbs in brown-butter sauce. Taberna Restaurant's Spanish influences are more apparent in its selection of tapas, such as the sautéed chorizo with white beans and mushrooms in a red-wine sauce and the servings of serrano ham and manchego cheese. As for larger plates, there's traditional seafood paella brimming with enough fish, shellfish, and saffron-tinted rice to feed two people or one homesick whale.

Behind a simple, gleaming wooden bar, bartenders mix pitchers of sangria and uncork bottles of wine from a list that, naturally, features a wealth of selections from Italy and Spain. Brushed metal sconces illuminate white tablecloths and walls decorated with paintings and vintage-style posters. During the sunnier seasons, the restaurant opens its outdoor patio.