When Matt Adler talks about the classic red sauce Italian restaurant he's opening on Capitol Hill, he doesn't use any of the cliché words restaurateurs rely on today to convey that they've gussied up a cuisine. Caruso's Grocery won't be an "interpretation" of Italian American cuisine, nor will it be "elevated," or his "modern take on it."

He's just striving to serve the best possible versions of rigatoni alla vodka, five-cheese ravioli, and chicken parmigiana. Think of these welcoming joints as temples to tomato sauce and cheese-coated comfort food where leftovers are a given.