An exuberant celebration of the bold, briny flavors and Moorish influences of Sicilian food, a cuisine unrepresented in this town till La Medusa took a chance on Columbia City. It's now on its second set of owners (who also own the terrific Columbia City Bakery down the street), but they've retained the classics—the salt cod fritters in tomato sauce bright with capers and garlic, the spaghetti con le Sarde studded with sardines, raisins, pine nuts and olives—and even bettered execution on a few things, like crispy-crusted pizzas. In summer, try the prix-fixe Market Dinners when the Columbia City Farmers' Market is in full bloom. Plus, a restaurant with such a legitimate claim to culinary pretension is just-folks enough to give the kids a hunk of pizza dough to play with on arrival. It's small, but uncomfortable chairs keep the waits short. Closed Sun, Mon.

Anyone who thinks it's a man's world hasn't been to La Medusa, the little "Sicilian Soul Food" restaurant in Columbia City. Talented women toss pastas, grill whole fish, finesse pizza dough and scoop gelato. Upfront, winsome waitresses offer elaborate descriptions of the daily specials, explain the attributes of linguine con vongole versus spaghetti con le sarde, or let you taste this Italian wine - unless you'd like a taste of that. It's a sweet destination for anyone looking for great vibes, very good food and stellar service.

In November, longtime La Medusa employee Julie Andres took over ownership of the restaurant from founders Lisa Becklund and Sherri Serino, who started it in 1997. In January, the restaurant made some tweaks to the interior, but overall, the look isn't that different. Nor is the menu. Many of the original La Medusa dishes still are listed, although neither Grandma's Greens or spaghetti con le sarde seem nearly as stunning as when I first tried them, under the old regime, back in the day. Desserts, however, have improved. Thanks, perhaps, to the addition and influence of baker Evan Andres, whose curriculum vitae includes time at Macrina, Tall Grass and, most recently, Dahlia Bakery.

The changeover seems not to have affected the restaurant's popularity. La Medusa remains as packed as ever with convivial friends, families and couples -- as the noise level attests.