A great counterpoint to the spate of (sometimes overly) creative Italian restaurants downtown, La Rustica is solidly neighborhood Italian-American. It’s intimate—or cramped, depending on how much you value elbow room and privacy—and suitably romantic.

La Rustica’s location, in a residential area beyond Alki Point, is also a nice change of pace from the converted-warehouse scene. Outdoor seating is across the street from a little beach, and with its vine-clad trellises and wrought-iron mesh tables, the space has that traditional gazebo feel that’s championed these days mostly by suburban restaurants. The interior, too, seems to fly in the face of urban trends, riding the line between quaint and tacky, but this lack of pomposity is perhaps why many are so fond of the restaurant.

The big menu is Italian-American in a broad sense. Bivalves, poultry, and steaks tend to get a bit lost under rich stone-ground mustards, cream sauces, and gorgonzola. Conversely, the kitchen seems to get things just right in soups and broths—the light cioppino allo zafferano is excellent. There are enough mussels and scallops on the menu to bolster the dining-by-the-sea feeling, and although seafood preparations won’t seem revelatory, taste and freshness are consistent. La Rustica is the kind of spot you visit when you want to take a break from being a foodie and just enjoy being a diner.