Vincent and Annette Agostino had one goal when founding AVA Cucina: re-create the spirit of a casual family kitchen in the Old World. Now, they have a place where housemade meatballs and marinara sauce top Sunday spaghetti dinners, which are followed by rich bites of housemade tiramisu dotted with a sweet raspberry sauce. It's also a place that's been like a second home to their five grown children, who have all chipped in at AVA Cucina at one point or another.

The taupe-hued walls feature homespun touches, too, including a hanging collection of cast-iron skillets and three impressionistic paintings of the Italian countryside. Guests can dine among them at tables draped in black tablecloths or in AVA Cucina's glass-enclosed section, which provides the benefits of an outdoor-seating view without any of the downsides caused by inclement weather or lonely skywriters.