Shaved Sicilian bottarga blasts umami over piped Normandy butter alongside a crisp balloon of focaccia. Tiny cubes of veal tongue join silky beef cheeks in a ragù Bolognese that entangles pappardelle in meaty depths. Pancetta and rabbit rev the filling for tiny, ridged plin dell’ alta langa. A sauce of egg yolk and beef stock enriches satisfyingly bony, thin-cut lamb chops. Chef and owner Chad Colby operates the finest Italian restaurant in Los Angeles by defying a false American notion that the cuisines of Italy are nursery foods for adults. (Yes, I am saying we have a lot of safe, boring options in our pasta-choked city.) His dishes taste of the kind of farm cooking where every cut of an animal has recognized value. After opening Antico in Koreatown five years ago, Colby continues to find ways to push himself. Recently he’s tackled a recipe for bouncysmooth, delicately spiced mortadella that takes three days to prepare; he serves it with extraordinary Vacche Rosse cheese (think extra nutty and complex Parmagiano) and syrupy, 25-year-old aceto balsamico. He also employs an unusually warm, committed and conversant staff — among them general manager and wine director Rachel Grisafi, who is masterful at decoding the mysteries of Italian varietals tableside. In the 2022 edition of this guide I noted that Antico was a great option for a last-minute special-occasion dinner. That’s not the case anymore, and needing to plan a week or two out for a reservation isn’t a bad thing. I’m glad more Angelenos know what we have in Antico. — B.A.

4653 BEVERLY BLVD., LOS ANGELES, (323) 510-3093 l ANTICONUOVO-LA.COM