Chef Sarah Grueneberg is a local celebrity, so expect her offspring to be packed to the last dining counter stool by 5:30 P.M. Then again this is prime seating, because behind that wood-grain bar lies the pasta station where sheets are rolled, cut, and hung to dry. Her signature Italian cooking—or cucina tipica as the menu lists it—is what draws crowds.

That said, this menu is about more than just pasta, beginning with an extraordinary yet humble vessel displaying bundles of cabbage leaves stuffed with herbed breadcrumbs, mushrooms, and  porcini Bolognese. Subbing whey for water in the cacio whey pepe delivers a slight tang and added creaminess, and the al dente pasta, tossed in Pecorino Romano and finished with a four peppercorn blend, is spot on.