Yannalfo's Ristorante, Marblehead

Upon entering Yannalfo's, the warm orange walls of the dining room and the clinking of glassware at the gleaming wooden bar compete for sensory attention. But neither can hold guests' attention once the scents of savory Italian sauces and baking seafood emanate from the kitchen. They start off making the basics with a touch of flair, from pasta strewn with freshly made meatballs and ravioli in a sauce made from simmering wild mushrooms and cream. But from there, they tackle more complicated, nuanced dishes. They toss five types of seafood in a zesty red clam sauce and make desserts from sweet seasonal ingredients such as berries or big tax return documents. For their signature dish, the Pappardelle alla Yannalfo's, they combine the best of which features sea with shrimp with portobello mushrooms in a vodka tomato cream sauce over pappardelle pasta.