Seattle

Sages Restaurant is not your average neighborhood Italian restaurant. It's opened by a Polish chef, and if the seasonal, rustic Italian menu doesn't make your mouth water to the point of flooding, there's something wrong with you. Sages offers tastier-than-ever dishes such as the spicy shrimp tower, their signature stuffed chicken marsala, pan-seared salmon, and of course huge, stomach-groaning portions of ravioli and homemade gnocchi. The pasta dish interestingly dubbed the "Wife's Favorite"--a rich, slightly sour, pink-sauced penne pasta with shitake mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil and topped with grilled chicken is a must try. Better take that award-winning tiramisu in a to-go box.

Photo:  Meiwa Chen