Seafood, Italian style: 3 favorites

This dependable, local landmark has a wide-ranging, land-and-sea menu. From the marine side: cold seafood salad, pan-seared scallops with risotto, squid-ink pasta with calamari and clams, linguine with shrimp, spinach and toasted bread crumbs, grilled shrimp with cannellini beans, tomato, spinach and garlic.

A modest spot for bold flavors, Cafe La Strada's seaside choices include scampi allegri, sauteed with garlic, parsley and white wine, shrimp fra diavolo, clams or mussels Posillipo, scungilli alla marinara, steamed cockles in garlic broth, baked clams oreganata.

Mamma Lombardi's is deeply involved with tomatoes and seafood. Try the mussels Posillipo, whole lobster fra diavolo, angel hair marechiara with shellfish and light marinara sauce, as well as the fritto misto with shrimp and squid, fried calamari, clams casino and the cold octopus salad.