Via Matta may be the closest Boston will ever get to a celebrity hangout. Chef/ owner Michael Schlow (who, with partners Christopher Myers and Esti Parsons, also owns Radius and Great Bay) attracts a line-up of big names like Billy Joel, Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler when they’re in town. The place buzzes on celeb-less days, too (in fact, all of the hard surfaces make the dining room almost too loud). Schlow’s take on simple Italian food includes big portions of chicken Milanese or tangy Sicilian tuna salad layered with white beans and caper berries. If you’re not unbuttoning your pants by dessert, indulge in the chocolate and hazelnut cheesecake with coconut gelato. There’s a shaded outdoor patio hidden behind tall walls of climbing vines, and the Enoteca/Caffe, a small candlelit bar at the front of the restaurant, which dishes out late-night pizzas and other snacky small plates.

Via Matta Information:

• Italian menu. Lunch, dinner. Closed Sunday.