Top of the Town 2012

This cozy basement bistro is quieter and less overwhelming than its upstairs co-tenant, Parisi, but its food comes from the same Tuscan roots. What’s great about this authentic comfort food is that it’s traditional without being too heavy or rich. From the cartoccio di coccoli (lightly fried pizza dough with prosciutto and stracchino cheese) and the calamari to the pappardelle sul cinghiale (a wild boar stew), Firenze a Tavola evokes Mediterranean warmth without leaving you feeling as stuffed as Pavarotti. 4401 Tennyson St., 303-561-0234, firenzeatavoladenver.com