Full disclaimer: I had to go to bat for my choice against the Food & Drink Editor, who would have chosen La Medusa for this category. But my Sicilian background trumped her love of the Columbia City restaurant (which admittedly I haven’t been to, but will now visit tout suite!). Growing up as I did among a bunch of food-loving relatives (my grandfather’s recipes won multiple awards), I like to think I know “real” southern-Italian cuisine when I eat it. Chefs Maria Hines and Jason Brzozowy brought Sicily to Seattle last year when they opened the all-organic eatery Agrodolce. The arancini (Sicilian fried rice balls) are perfectly crisped on the outside and warm and soft on the inside, just like the ones I ate in Siracusa. Twirling my fork through the mound of pasta marinara laced with Mama Lil’s peppers and Skagit River Ranch sugo reminded me of my grandfather. The sourcing here is impeccable (the meat from Skagit River Ranch, for example, is ethically and sustainably raised), and there’s a slew of options for vegans, vegetarians, and, most surprisingly, gluten-free eaters.