Named after one of Rome’s seven hills, Aventino was a smash hit from the day its chef and owner, Olney resident Mike Friedman, opened it in Bethesda in January 2024. The bustling bi-level restaurant is a love letter to the cuisine of Italy’s capital, so housemade pastas—among them spaghetti with lemon butter and caviar and a rich rigatoni carbonara—are not to be missed. Suppli al telefono (crispy risotto fritters filled with oozy mozzarella) and a fritto misto of batter-dipped seasonal vegetables and salt cod are standout starters. Fall-off-the-bone spice-rubbed lamb ribs with wildflower honey vinegar and pickled fennel are a dreamy entree. Pastry chef Anne Specker’s desserts, such as the baba al rhum with honeyed apricots and chamomile gelato or the dark chocolate semifreddo with coffee cocoa nib crunch, are sophisticated yet unfussy. 4747 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, 301-961-6450, aventinocucina.com.