Picture this: a cozy, dimly-lit restaurant filled with inviting aromas of freshly-baked bread and simmering sauces. Bowls filled with steaming pasta are being dished out from the small kitchen around the back, and the walls are adorned with stunning landscape shots of the Italian coast. Families are laughing and smiling at each other, and the air is full of celebration and bliss. 

No, you’re not in a quaint restaurant on the Amalfi Coast. You’re actually at Locanda Positano in Lafayette, just a mere 15 minutes away from Berkeley. After my mom and I found ourselves craving Italian food this past weekend, we sought out some recommendations from my friends.