Uncle Peter's

Uncle Peter's is a long-running Italian dining room on Northern Boulevard whose kitchen borrows from Spain and Argentina as freely as from Italy. That fits its owner, Ernesto — the Uncle Peter of the sign — who is Italian by way of Argentina; Time Out found him working the tables while Latin jazz played overhead. The restaurant calls itself a warm neighborhood place for anything from a casual meal to a special night out, with cocktails at the bar.

Start with the seafood salad of poached octopus, calamari and shrimp, or grilled octopus with mango, then move to pappardelle with braised beef-shank ragù, the frutti di mare risotto or a pan-seared branzino with citrus beurre blanc. There is a separate bar menu and wine list, and prix-fixe menus on holidays. It is a grown-up, unhurried room for a dinner that runs to dessert and a last glass of wine — book ahead on weekends.