Cremona

A stone's throw from the tony Uptown stretch of McKinney Avenue, this family-owned and operated Italian restaurant, named after a town in Italy, has been serving saucy fare since 1977. The current location, in a house with the outward appearance of a garden center, is the restaurant's second iteration, though it has the same flare of the first. Customers can still twirl homemade spaghetti from under a hefty Bolognese sauce or fork tortellini stuffed with veal and chicken under a cream sauce garnished with Parmesan. Shrimp Fra Diavolo over linguine can be relished on white tablecloth in a dark-wood dining room. In the nooks and crannies couples can be seen sharing one of Cremona's signature combo dinners. Fifty bucks gets two people lobster, steak and chicken -- the house red, frozen Bellinis or a Birra Moretti not included.