Their creativity was evident from the first plates. A garlic flatbread appetizer was sprinkled with sesame seeds, with a flaky dough that reminiscent of a takeout Chinese scallion pancake, and a salad of chrysanthemum flowers evoked a Caesar with a pillowy covering of parmesan and sesame bread crumbs. A prime rib braciole paid tribute to Sunday suppers in New Jersey, and a show-stopping timballo, an enormous baked barrel of pasta paid tribute to Tony Shalhoub in Big Night. All of this was paired with wine from the old country: The Italian Trade Agency came with vino from up and down the boot, from a delicate Nebbiolo from the Piedmont highlands to a powerful Nero d'Avola from Sicily.

It’s long been accepted that the food made by Italian immigrants to America and their descendants is a distinct cuisine from anything you might find in Tuscany or Sicily, worthy of appreciation on its own. Rito and Tacinelli’s cooking pushes that logic to a wonderful extreme: the wild diversity of what could be considered “American” food in these days means Italian-American food can draw from global influences and make perfect, delicious sense.