Mangia Ristorante Pizzeria, Lafayette

This family-owned, Italian flag-colored eatery fed its first patron in 1998. Ever since, its chefs have stood behind stainless-steel countertops in the kitchen to hand-toss disks of dough into pizzas, which they slide into hot ovens on wooden peels. While the pies bake, they also stir the house-made pasta sauces bubbling atop burners. Lasagnas with meat sauce, marinated mushrooms, and ricotta cheeses bake inside ovens alongside signature pizzas. An example of one of these specialties is the pesto genovese with pancetta and fresh tomatoes. Traditional, house-made minestrone soup with seasonal vegetables, crisp salads, and veal parmigiano warms the palates of those who'd rather not swallow the planet Mercury.

The bright, clean walls of the dining area exhibit colorful paintings that include a wall-sized display of pink cherubs flying across a red background with pizzas in their outstretched arms.