The first time I stopped in at Bricco Osteria in Calistoga, I didn’t have a reservation. It was a Saturday night and the line stretched out the door. I quickly realized I didn’t have a chance of getting in. Curious, I slipped inside the long, narrow trattoria and was swallowed by the energy, the cheerful noise and the aromas of slow-simmering tomatoes, garlic and basil. I saw plates being passed through the open kitchen up front and there was a beautiful lasagna, layered tall like a cake and laced with wide ribbons of meat.

I had to have that lasagna. So, for my next visit, I remembered to call ahead.The Italian joint certainly is a crowd-pleaser. It’s a small footprint, seating 44 plus six seats at the full bar in the back and a few more at the sidewalk tables. But its fan base seems large — social media posters have been swooning over the place since it opened last spring, crowning it with 4.5 stars on Yelp and 4 dots on Tripadvisor.