Last night we celebrated my husband's birthday by eating out at Il Pizzico. We must've driven by the place a hundred times in the 15 years we've lived in Rockville, thought (mistakenly) 'bad name for a pizza place' and never actually gone there to try the food. Too bad for us though -- the restaurant has absolutely fabulous food, a fun bartender, and a very nice atmosphere, as many residents of Montgomery County obviously already knew: the place was packed. We had a half hour wait for a table, and our waiter told us this was slow for a Saturday night.

I'm no restaurant critic, but I can say that everyone in my family was very happy with their meal, including our two vegetarians, who had the Pansotti di Spinaci in salsa di Crema and Penne with an eggplant sauce (which I don't remember the Italian name for). My favorites of the evening were the Finocchio Marinato salad and the Creme Brulée for dessert. The portions were just right and the presentation (especially the salads) was lovely. We'll be back!