Food: Sotto Sotto

My favorite Italian place in Atlanta is Sotto Sotto, Riccardo Ullio's wildly popular Inman Park restaurant. It gets crowded quick, but if you reserve in advance, you can dine out on the back patio and experience some really fabulous pasta and risotto. Here are some of my personal highlights:

Spaghetti alle vongole ($19): This is a pretty straightforward rendition of spaghetti with clam sauce, but it's fresher and tastier than you'll get in your local Italian joint.

The "naked ravioli" (i.e., spinach and ricotta gnocchi, $17): It's tough to tell in the picture, but each one of those greenish globes was really tender and absolutely bursting with flavor. This is one of those dishes that you savor, bite by bite, along with a good glass of wine.

Mushroom risotto ($17): Creamy, al dente, and rich in all the best ways. The only real complaint you'll have is that the dish was over too soon.

3/4 stars