Osteria Il Centro restaurant, near Country Club Plaza

Osteria Il Centro (5101 Main St., 816-561-2369) has been one of the city's more romantic neighborhood trattorias since it opened in 1995 - back then, it was just up the street from Kansas City's most popular gay bar, Cabaret (which closed a few years ago), and it's had a bit of a gay following ever since. It's also just a few blocks south of the posh Country Club Plaza shopping district. Inside this warmly lighted space, you can dine on a nice mix of authentic, well-prepared Northern Italian dishes: shrimp carciofi (served over artichoke halves with a garlic-lemon butter sauce), caprese salads, thin-crust pizzettes (try the one topped with prosciutto, garlic, roma tomatoes, mozzarella, and provolone), orecchiette carbonara with gorgonzola cheese, chicken marsala, and mango cheesecake. There's also an excellent list of wines by the glass and bottle. Apart from serving terrific food, Osteria keeps prices reasonable - entrees are under $20.