Within the bustling kitchen of Bistro Mezzaluna's new location just off the 17th Street Causeway, chefs fold local seafood and seasonal ingredients into an array of fine American and Italian-inspired dishes. Under the leadership of Chef Anish Rana, they shower rigatoni and linguini in fresh seafood and classic sauces, and season prime Angus beef steaks with brandy peppercorn and roasted garlic bordelaise. They also pay special attention to each meal's end, hand-crafting each dessert in-house instead of sourcing them to outside shops. Even though the venue is relatively new, this commitment to delicious food isn't; rather, it's the same kind of top-notch cooking that's made the Zagat-rated restaurant a destination for more than 20 years.

The atmosphere is considerably quieter outside of the kitchen, where the elegant dining room's soft lights illuminate pristine white linen tablecloths and the Italian paintings that rest on the walls. On the lush new outdoor patio, the clink of wine glasses and sounds of al fresco dinners harmonize with the trickle of water cascading down a stone fountain. The restaurant also houses an upstairs banquet facility, which welcomes parties of nearly any size for family gatherings, business lunches, and festive parties. No matter where dinner takes place, servers dart nimbly about, outfitted with pitchers for pouring ice water and keys for opening wine bottles. Diners chatter amicably all the while, sipping on imported and American wines from the 4,000+ bottles that reside in the restaurant's professional-grade wine room.