Fodor's Expert Review Esca

The name is Italian for "bait," and this restaurant lures you in with a long menu of delectable crudo preparations and then hooks you with bold entrées that might include whole salt-baked branzino, sea bass for two, or bucatini pasta with spicy baby octopus. The restaurant saw a few changes when longtime chef Dave Pasternack bought it in 2019, but its menu remains sharp, as does the adventurous Italian wine selection.