ACQUA CAFÉ – Restaurant

Palm Beach's south end, a short walk from the ocean on South Ocean Boulevard, and notably unstuffy for the address. Acqua Café runs modern coastal Italian: calamari fritti with calabrese peppers, cozze al vino bianco, vongole alla posillipo, fried green tomatoes layered with stracciatella and speck. Then spaghetti con vongole, cappellini with jumbo lump crab in lemongrass sauce, tagliolini ai frutti di mare, risotto ai funghi porcini, cioppino, and the chargrilled kebab di nettuno. Dining room and bar open evenings; weekday lunch is takeout only. Guests describe warm, unhurried service and cooking that trusts the fish. Reservations by telephone, please.

Cuisine: Restaurant