Ristorante

Tucked into the hills of Upper Caserta, this Michelin-starred restaurant runs on a near-obsessive botanical logic: the chef catalogs wild herbs and vegetables from the surrounding region by plant family, then builds tasting menus around them. It sounds cerebral until the food arrives, at which point the whole system dissolves into something quietly delicious. The wine list, steered by a sommelier who clearly has opinions, leans Italian and French with some interesting detours.

Three honors, in evidence: