Cook St. Helena

You’re almost guaranteed to get treated like an old friend at Cook, where the owners roam the small dining room that’s usually filled to the brim with both locals and tourists. Book ahead for a spot (or grab a first-come, first-serve seat at the counter) and order as much of their fantastic, housemade pasta as you can handle. Every dish is a standout, but the ones that keep us coming back are the spaghetti alle vongole, eggplant parmesan, and the cavatelli all'arrabbiata with sausage. They’re only open Monday through Friday, so plan accordingly.