Though it increases the likelihood of crossing paths with a runaway mascot, a visit to Lucca Ristorante is well worth it. Here, within shouting distance of several colleges and universities, diners dig into the seasonal menus' contemporary Northern Italian cuisine. They savor mushrooms, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes with every bite of fettuccine, and sift through spicy tomato-basil cream sauce for hunks of crab and tiger shrimp in the frutti di mare con penne. At the bar, servers dish out martinis, bourbon, single-malt scotches, and draft beers.

Instead of stuffy and staid, Lucca's atmosphere is a mix of homey and artsy. It boasts exposed brick, seafoam-green and ocean-blue walls, bold Italian art prints, and bright purple goblets that make patrons feel royal and more likely than usual to try to knight a fellow diner with a steak knife.