Small plates (call them tapas, call them hors d'oeuvres, call them mezze) and cocktails: a brilliant concept when it's done right, a quagmire if you get it wrong. And so much can go wrong, so quickly. Just look at the sad-sack happy hours in all the gin joints around town; you know who they are. So what a pleasure to find a new spot that does it right, Cicchetti, which is what the Venetians call them. The menu comes with its own official pronunciation guide, "chi-KET-tee," rhymes with spaghetti. "The staff thought the name was too hard," says owner Susan Kaufman. "I overruled them." more ›

When we were growing up, television told us that "Wednesday is Prince spaghetti day." No Prince spaghetti in sight for us this past Wednesday, but plenty of Italian food. Seven plates (plus salumi, olives, dessert, and the oh-so-wonderful lardo lollipops) at the back room of Salumi for lunch, followed by seven fabulous courses at Serafina - as well as a sneak peek at Cicchetti, the new Venetian-inspired bar that will serve small plates. more ›