Ever pick up the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain? Its main message is that art is taken to another level when the artist draws what her subject actually looks like, rather than what she thinks it looks like. Most people draw from memory—not faithful likenesses of apples in a bowl, but crude circles with no shading. Such is the fate of "traditional" cuisines, most notably Italian, which, drawn from memory, looks like red sauce on noodles—totally recognizable in a Pictionary sort of way, but rarely inspiring. The kind of Italian that comes out of the kitchens at Broders', however, does more than just get the point across. It effortlessly evokes the model from which it draws its inspiration—in all its boot-shaped, romantic glory. The pasta here is homemade each day. The risotto is tossed to order. These are the kinds of dishes you've been crediting for years as your favorites: spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna, penne. But at Broders' they're more authentic, with more color, more dimension. The meatballs are in the style of Calabria, the lasagna is layered with crab, the penne includes fresh rosemary. You twist them onto your fork and with each bite think, Oh yeah, that's right. And then you smile when the bill comes, because—oh yeah, that's right—you're reminded that the Twin Cities' best Italian restaurant also happens to be graciously affordable.