Cafe Divine, San Francisco

In many ways, Café Divine is a shrine to Italy: its specialty pizzas, which are fired in an Italian oven, all have names that reference Dante's Inferno. The North Beach bistro occupies an Italianate building; look up at the ceiling and you'll notice brass chandeliers that were made specially in Italy. Not to be outdone, the bar is made of Italian marble.

Naturally, a lot of the food here draws from Italian traditions, but they’re only part of the total culinary equation. Helmed by chef David Wees, the kitchen uses organic and local ingredients to craft entrees that range from slow-braised beef bourguignonne to smoked-trout salad. You can finish off your meal with a fresh cup of espresso and one of Café Divine's homemade desserts. Decadent treats include caramel-drenched ginger cake à la mode and flourless chocolate cake.

Café Divine supports local musical artists, too. You can catch live accordion music on Mondays. Other acts have included ragtime guitarist Craig Ventresco and bassist Chris Amberger.