The Better Letter

I enjoy this place for a casual Italian meal before catching a movie; the price is right, there are plenty of choices to satisfy even the pickiest family member, and the service is fast and efficient. Great salads (try the Grilled Salmon Salad with grilled asparagus, Feta cheese, and crispy shoestring potatoes on a bed of mixed greens), soups (rich Italian Wedding Soup is a favorite), thin-crust pizzas from the wood-burning oven, and pastas (I love the Shrimp Fra Diavolo Campanelle). The faux Italian ruin decor is distracting, but who cares when the have Filet Mignon Toscano? Try their Evanston location as well. -- Julie Chernoff