Where: 1483 E. Valley Road Rd., (805) 565-9393, paneevino-viavai.com
What: A very comfortable – especially if the weather cooperates for its pleasant patio – trattoria serving tasty Italian specialties and thin crust pizzas.
How much? Pizzas $9.95-$12.95, pastas $10.95-$15.95, secondi $14.95-$25.95
The Dish: This sister restaurant to Pane e Vino across the street is a bit less about the see-and-be-seen scene and a lot more about pizza, very Italian style, with crusts thinner than the girls on the new 90210. Not that those lovely pies – from a classic Margherita to a frutti de mare full of shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and calamari – are all you can order. The pasta is toothsome and tasty, and the very special special spaghetti al coccio con frutti di mare is sort of a pot pie, Italian style, with spaghetti and some tomato broth with a bit of a kick giving shellfish and seafood a robust sea in which to swim. There’s fancier, more traditionally fuller stuff, too, but eating light-ish and cheap-ish is the way to enjoy this Montecito mainstay. And save room for gelato.