Villa Piacere

The big, airy dining room is reasonably comfortable here, but the attraction of Villa Piacere is clearly the sprawling patio, shaded by a massive weeping willow whose branches are laced with sparkling white lights. Sheltered from the sights and sounds of urban life by bougainvilleas and walls crawling with vines, this brick-covered venue boasts a multi-tiered stone fountain and tables are topped with white linen, candles and flowers.

The Italian/Continental cuisine tends to be subordinated by the al fresco setting, but it is not hard to build a good meal here if you stick to the basics. Many of the usual trattoria offerings are found here, including fried calamari, a passable beef carpaccio and decent pastas. Entrees, such as steaks, grilled salmon with shrimp in a Chardonnay-lime sauce, and ahi tuna with ponzu sauce are well prepared if not particularly inspired. The predictable crème brûlée, tarte Tatin and tiramisù appear on the dessert menu. Generally speaking, the kitchen has a hard time competing with the garden setting, but the throngs of loyal patrons don't seem to be complaining.