Nothing annoys Italians more than mushrooms in their carbonara. And at Panza's in Saratoga Springs, a saucy version not only has wild mushrooms but also peas. Fortunately, despite the unorthodox approach, it's delicious and prompts my Italian guest to declare, "It's not carbonara so it needs a new name, but whatever it is, it's good."

Frankly, this is a good way to look at Panza's as a dining experience overall. The restaurant is a time warp: retro, kitschy and absolutely packed. A young, uniformed staff is efficient, and dinner, even with its dry-ice tricks and vintage looks, is Italian-American with strong Napoli influences and unexpectedly good.