We really hate the oddly low-rent sign jutting from the facade of Melrose's new All' Angelo. But the high-end Italian cuisine and hospitality to be found inside are lovely.

This isn't the expensive Italian that equates a high price point with pasta plates large enough for 17. This is the expensive Italian that can be refreshing (warm Maine lobster salad with wild fennel and baby frisee), comforting (mushroom-filled potato tortelli in a wild mushroom sauce) or decadent (veal, pork ribs and sausage with braised savoy cabbage) but always elegant. Friends of the staff mix with foodies, neighborhood curious and, of course, suitors and their victims in a space that's simple but sophisticated. The light woods, swirling sconces and white linens are gently complemented with candlelight and extremely pleasant service; the elements coalesce into a formal but unstuffy evening that spells special occasion without making such a fuss that nobody can enjoy themselves with the help of the epic-length wine list. —Lonny Pugh