For the chefs at Cedro Scratch Italian and Wine Bar, every day starts the same way. As the sun rises over Austin, they roll out thin sheets of dough and proceed to cut or shape it into tagliatelle, orecchiette, and other handmade pastas. Though delicious on their own, these pastas serve mainly as the basis for tempting dishes such as ragu bolognese with reggiano cheese or carbonara with poached egg and smoky bacon.

While Cedro's handmade noodles have helped put this Italian restaurant on the map, they are hardly the only reason to visit. Others include sushi-grade salmon tartare, seafood risotto, and grilled pizzas topped with creative ingredients such as figs and gorgonzola cream. Owner James Sun apparently puts just as much thought into sourcing as he does into flavor, supporting local breweries, farmers, and garlic miners whenever possible.