Caffe Pranzo — a very nice 'hole in the wall'

Inside the building, there's an authentic charm that's very relaxing. The walls are covered with works from local artist Ann Shaw and while there are decorations, it's not crammed full of knick-knacks — an easy way to distinguish the restaurant from some anonymous Italian chain. There's nothing pretentious about Caffe Pranzo, which is just how Gratch likes it.

"We're not trying to be real fancy," he said. "We don't do a lot of nouveau cuisine, just classic Italian dishes."

Gratch said Pranzo's chef has been there almost as long as the restaurant, which means consistent quality for patrons. Customers fast become family at Pranzo, where they are happy to make changes to the menu to satisfy anybody with allergies or particular tastes.

"We have a lot of repeat customers who have been coming here since we opened," he said. "We try to work with their dietary concerns to make sure everybody gets a good meal."