Acappella, New York

Many Italians are passionate about food, but master chef Sergio Acappella began working in an Italian restaurant when he was only 18 years old. He created the menu at Acappella, which centers on regional northern Italian dishes such as beef carpaccio with truffle oil, fresh Malpac oysters baked in white wine or Dover sole, both baked in a fire. Italian cherry peppers ignite the veal chop Mount Etna, and a 3.5-pound crustacean stars in the lobster arrabbiata, which is flavored with fresh herbs and white wine. An impressive wine list focuses on Italian grapes, but the selection of more than 100 varietals also includes bottles from France, California, and Australia.

Oversized columns support the vaulted ceilings of the dining room, which will forever be recognized for its cameo in the pilot of The Sopranos. Large Italian paintings hang on the walls, and a 60-foot stretch of windows frame views of Tribeca.