New Italian restaurant Monti is at home in hip Fountain Square

What to order: Don't skip the focaccia ($6), which is made in house daily, or the arancini ($9) from the small plates section.

• Little flavor bombs, the rice balls are studded with peas and stuffed with a fat square of smoked mozzarella. Stupid delicious.
• On the pasta side, the bucatini ($18) was perfectly al dente but the scialatelli alla Norma ($19) was a standout. The herby fresh ricotta on top really gilded the lily.

Plus: They started the meal with a tiny taste of their vermouth of the day and it felt like such a fun, welcoming way to start the meal.

• Their drink menu feels fresh and fun with its focus on vermouths, amaros and spritzes.

The vibe: While the meal was great and the service was excellent — not always the case less than a month after opening — it'd be worth going just to see what Monti has done with the space.

• Tile, texture, marble — all kinds of color and pattern that's both super cool and still comfortable.

If you go: 1110 Shelby St.

• Open 5-11pm Wednesday-Saturday.