UNTIL RECENTLY, Sacramento was shockingly underserved in the Italian-restaurant department. For that, perhaps, we should blame Biba Caggiano. After all, she set the bar awfully high when she opened Biba on Capitol Avenue 30 years ago.

But Italian restaurants are finally starting to appear around town. There’s OBO’, the Sellands’ fast-casual Italian place in East Sac, and Hawks Public House, which, if not exactly Italian, is certainly Italian-inspired. Now there’s Amaro, a casually ambitious pizza-and-pasta restaurant from the owners of Shady Lady Saloon.