ABBONDANZA RESTAURANT – Restaurant

Three cigar-makers' cottages knocked together on Simonton Street, which is why Abbondanza feels less like a restaurant than somebody's very large Italian family home. Key West casual, first-come first-served, a full bar humming away in the middle of it. The kitchen leans classic and executes properly: lobster capellini in a creamy sauce with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, linguine vongole in white or red clam sauce, manicotti filled with ricotta and spinach, chicken parmigiana, veal marsala, penne puttanesca. Local fish arrives as the fillet of the day. Diners talk portions, the warmth of the staff, and how quickly strangers become company.

Cuisine: Restaurant