Hostaria del Piccolo Venice, Los Angeles

The mantra at Hostaria del Piccolo Venice is "Eat Less Taste More," a saying that drives the restaurant's focus on vibrant flavors presented in modest portion sizes. The menu opens with a bevy of antipasti, including Venetian-style eel or baby octopus, as well as crispy fried pigs' ears and seared fresh ricotta. Every day of the week has a pasta special to call its own, but the most popular item on the menu is the pizza. Diners choose from 29 varieties of hand-crafted pies dressed in sauces that, like your favorite capes, come in varieties such as red or invisible. Pizza toppings include Sicilian olives, mozzarella di bufala, and housemade porchetta, among others. The weekend brunch crowd sips bellinis and aperol spritzes while tucking into plates of ricotta pancakes, smoked-salmon benedict, and frittatas.