Dinner at Tramonti is everything that’s wonderful about Italian dining. Vivacious, atmospheric, unpretentious—and above all, delicious. Friends kept telling me about their memorable meals at this Seabright hot spot. I found out why as I and my companion (who spent several years in Rome) fell under the spell of the swift, warm service and rustic outdoor setting.

After his first sip of the house Chianti, and having polished off the first of several oven-roasted prawns wrapped in soppressata, he happily confessed, “It’s like being in Italy.” Well, it was. From the salt-free Italian bread already waiting at our table to the opulent cake and cream dessert, the meal was as authentic as Pavarati. Neither designer Italian nor Italian-American, Tramonti’s menu can be described as whatever the Italian term for “down home” is—the people’s authentic Italian food.