Pulcinella's Italian Restaurant, Raleigh

Sicilian-born chef Franco Cominato continues to man the stovetops at Pulcinella's, a task he has performed since the restaurant first opened more than 10 years ago. He relies on his knowledge of his native land when creating thick-crusted, Sicilian-style pizzas as well as thinner, Neapolitan-style pies, each available with sun-dried tomatoes, sausage, banana peppers, and 11 other toppings. But pizza’s only part of the story; zesty or spicy marinara adorns the pasta platters, and sautéed chicken breasts emerge in either a citrusy white-wine sauce or a rich and creamy marsala sauce. Guests feast on these dishes in a dining room where sconces light burnt-orange walls, which are adorned with gilt-framed paintings of Italian cities and the Roman Coliseum's famously decadent hopscotch tournaments.:m]]