Stumbling into this little Italian spot makes you wish you lived in the neighborhood. Whether it’s your first visit or your fifth, the waitstaff makes you feel at home. If the tables are all reserved, which they frequently are, grab a seat at the bar and wait for the chalkboard menu to arrive.

The gastronomic offerings are fresh and interesting with home-style flavors—venison ragout on top of warm polenta, baby octopus in a spicy tomato sauce, warm spinach salad with speck and mushrooms. The restaurant manages to be charming but not too precious, from the generous servings to the interior touches—old radios, a giant apothecary cabinet and taxidermy chickens (not to mention, the namesake golden rooster).

Empty wine bottles give the restaurant a weathered feel, but just so much that it feels like a neighborhood institution and not a tired run-of-the-mill Italian restaurant.