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There's a certain breed of dressy northern Italian restaurants around town that feature absurdly long lists of specials and fantastic bread. Here, that specials list includes seasonal gems like airy, crispy soft-shell crabs and incredible Dover sole almondine. On the apps front, the classic frittura di mare is so good, you don't feel guilty for eating all that fried stuff. The pasta dishes are authentically done, but the proprietors, mercifully, will bend the rules and allow you to put Parmesan on your black linguine with tangy tuna tomato sauce. Watch out, though: Il Postino is not light on the wallet--you may be tempted to drown your sorrows in the humongous wine list. — Laura Brounstein

Frittura di mare, $16.50; black linguine with tangy tuna tomato sauce, $32.50