La Vita E Bella Cafe   

There's something very right about a dependable trattoria, the sort that Italians patronize almost daily. Divided between two spaces on the street level of a condo complex, this Belltown destination is housed in efficient, comfortable surroundings, casual in the cafe (where dining companions include Italian cinema luminaries mounted on the walls), a bit more formal in the pizzeria -- and between the two, open most of the day, every day. Menus are equally down-to-earth: The cafe offers a range of panini sandwiches (including one named after Roberto Benigni), daily pasta dishes, soup and salads perfect for sharing. Next door, some 20 pizzas, from the simple margherita to the scoglio, topped with mussels, shrimp and calamari, are thin-crusted pies of perfection. Begin with the Sicilian octopus appetizer (polipo con patate), but if you have to choose between a starter and a finisher, instead consider saving room for profitteroles, a delight too rarely found on restaurant dessert menus. Wines, by bottle or the glass, are all Italian, and smoking is allowed at the sidewalk tables.