Best Eats in the Best Neighborhoods

10. ROOSEVELT Locals shop and catch up on the news at Whole Foods Market, shop the holistic stores and read The Roosie for info on local happenings.

Restaurants in nearby Montlake/Ravenna/University District

Café Lago: Italian. Owners Jordi Viladas and Carla Leonardi have been the standard bearers for delicious pastas and homemade pizzas at their easy-going Montlake trattoria for nearly two decades. The pizza crusts are thin and crisp, the pasta delicate, and the lasagna, made with whisper-thin noodles, is the stuff of dreams. Dinner daily. 2305 24th Ave. E; 206.329.8005; cafelago.com $$

Frank's Oyster House and Champagne Parlor: American. With a menu of 50’s era faves—shrimp cocktail, wedge salad, steak with Bordelaise sauce—and, naturally, a fully stocked list of bubbly, the owners of Pair have created a throw-back bistro with neighborhood appeal. Dinner Tue.–Sat. 2616 NE 55th St.; 206.525.0220; franksoysterhouse.com $$

Jak's Grill: Steak. You don’t often hear “neighborhood” and “steak house” in the same breath, but that’s just what Jak’s offers: the informal, easy feel of a neighborhood restaurant with a satisfying protein punch. Lunch Tue.–Fri; dinner daily. 3701 NE 45th St.;206.985.8545; jaksgrill.com $$

Pair: Northwest. The feel is elegant cottage, and the small-plate menu reflects the same tailored hominess. Diners can mix and match items to create their own grazing dinners. Along with a fine green salad, the best dishes are the creamy-cheesy ones: puffed gougères, potato-cauliflower gratin and Dungeness mac-and- cheese. Dinner Tue.–Sat. 5501 30th Ave. NE; 206.526.7655; pairseattle.com. No checks, no Amex $$