Westwood has plenty of noodle shops, fast-food joints and cheap eateries frequented by UCLA students. But Tanino is an adult oasis amid the undergrad culinary mayhem.

Sicilian chef Tanino Drago knows a few things about Italian cuisine, especially considering his family pedigree: He worked at his brother Celestino's place Drago in Santa Monica for years before setting off on his own. Popular with the Westwood business set and the Geffen Playhouse crowd, Tanino rejects the sterile coolness so prevalent among chi-chi LA Italian spots. The checkerboard floor, dark wood and soaring staircase befit a real restaurant that serves terrific tuna carpaccio and homemade fettucine. Magnifico, Tanino.