Palermo Ristorante Italiano, Los Angeles

With its walls covered with stained-glass windows, imposing faux-stone archways, and colorful murals of canals, Palermo Ristorante Italiano removes practically all evidence that its guests are in Los Angeles. Instead, they're surrounded with the sights and scents of Sicily—and, of course, the flavors, through dishes such as eggplant parmesan and veal cutlets in mushroom-cream sauce.

Like all great Italian eateries, Palermo features an extensive wine list, although here it does nod to the local surroundings. In fact, sommelier Sam Amormino highlights up to a dozen California wines during monthly wine-tasting classes that grant access a buffet of Palermo’s best dishes. Weekend breakfasts also add in a bit of American influence, when chefs top their pizzas with fixings such as scrambled eggs.