Though the neighborhood is still marginal—bars on windows—the restaurant is anything but. This nine-table, reservation-necessary, hot-house-in-summer Italian restaurant offers little in the traditional Little Italy sense. Rather, you can get intricately sauced and locally seasoned gourmet dishes such as the signature spaghetti Bolognese and delicate appetizers such as prosciutto-wrapped fig bruschetta with Texas honeycomb. Lunch is still a deal—the tasty paninis and matchstick fries, a nostalgic residue of Urbano's first incarnation on McKinney Avenue. It doesn't hurt matters that Jimmy's Food Store, a popular purveyor of imported Italian meats and treats, is right next store. The Urbano owner's in-your-face affability creates an intimacy for some, a hardship for those waiting for the tables to be turned. No matter, when your turn comes, it's worth the wait, but make sure to bring your own booze, because that's just the kind of place Urbano is.