This warm, upscale but casual eatery may be a link in a California-based chain, but it knows a thing or two about Italian food. The pastas come covered with well-executed sauces; the wine list focuses on vino from the boot and is well-priced, to boot. But it's the Caesar that we truly hail. This salad is precisely, perfectly made, with every ingredient working in delicious harmony. The romaine hearts are fresh and coldly crisp, the shredded Pecorino-Romano cheese plentiful, the croutons made from polenta cut into little cubes and fried buttery golden. But the dressing is the real topper: slightly salty, creamy, anchovy-kissed, garlic-hugged. Lettuce never had it so good -- and neither have we.