There’s an Italian restaurant along 17th Avenue in Uptown that I truly enjoy. I’ve been there twice, both times sitting on the patio when it was cool enough outside that I started to shiver. This picture was taken from the table closest to the large open window.

The server started each of us off with a taste of prosecco. We paid for it later, but it’s a nice touch. I gazed longingly at the tagliere (cheeses and meats) on the neighboring table but didn’t order it this time. Instead, we got the burrata plate with its sweet, creamy cheese. After the crusty bread with an open crumb and Todd’s salad, our main dishes arrived.

Both of us felt slightly adventurous that night (but only just; wouldn’t want to go overboard, after all). Todd ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, the chewy guinea fowl with crispy skin. The asparagus was sliced lengthwise, a trick repeated with my fava beans. I want to know how that’s done.

I was dithering between the pappardelle with sausage and the tagliatelle with halibut belly. I chose the latter for the sake of adventure, and the meat itself was interesting: some of it had the consistency of a steak, and other bites were lusciously fatty. The tagliatelle itself was cooked al dente (ever so slightly crisp), but the other ingredients  (artichoke and fava beans) didn’t really add much. Overall, the meal was a bit bland, but both the pasta and the fish  stood out.

Il Posto is located on 17th Avenue near Thin Man and St. Mark’s Coffeehouse.

It reminds me of the Squeaky Bean in this way: you have to order a lot of food to get full, and the bill shows it.