Passerina

Come to Passerina for off-menu pasta. That’s it. Caption over. Really, though: Do not decide to leave just shy of 10pm if the team has yet to walk around asking everyone if they’d like a bowl of that evening’s special concoction of carbs. Some nights it's risotto. Others it’s rigatoni or tagliatelle. The sauce is always different, and despite it not being listed on the menu, it is always a part of this Italian wine bar’s nightly shtick. While the bowl of noodles is certainly tasty, it’s more about the anticipation: being asked about it, waiting for it while, watching it being made, and then eating it all together as a big family (even the staff gets a portion). Of course, if you’re just in it for a glass of pet-nat and a handful of terrific shared plates eaten huddled around a slim counter or a central shared table, there’s plenty of that, too—including the likes of octopus salad with potatoes and fish eggs or steamed cockles in a creamy wine sauce. But you want the pasta.