Giancarlo Paterni's Acquerello has stood as San Francisco's single most acclaimed Italian destination restaurant for well over a decade. Rustic refinement is the order of the day; Aqcuerello's dining room is all vaulted ceiling, dramatic floral arrangements, and stained glass. The food is sublime, the service polished, and the wine list deep and well researched.

This is not a place for your flashy Armani suit; the crowd at Acquerello is decidedly conservative, but on the night of our visit, the Charles Schwab types were packing it in for chef Suzette Gresham's acclaimed Italian cookery.

- Excerpt from Acquerello, Country Italian Elegance on Russian Hill by Luke Raimondo