Mio Posto, Long Beach

Elegance and comfort merge at Mio Posto, where white-linen-covered tables stand beneath a wall-mounted flat-screen TV. Here, the chefs whip up Italian specialties served family style, encouraging groups to share the heaping portions, or do what families do, and hoard them until it's time to read the will. The menu teems with traditional Italian entrees made from both housemade and imported pastas and sauces, including chicken marsala, veal sorrentino, and eggplant parmagiana.