Olive & June, the newest restaurant from local restaurant owner/chef Shawn Cirkiel, was named for both his and his wife's grandmothers, but there's nothing old-fashioned about this place. Austin needed a bright modern take on regional Italian, and with dishes like creamy lobster risotto, grilled swordfish, braised short ribs, and handmade ravioli, it now has one. Dine inside and view the back-of-the-house excitement through the looking glass of broad kitchen windows, or feast al fresco under an enormous ancient oak. I love the chef's small plate options—nice little noshes that can constitute a full meal. For a main course, try the scrumptious saffron ravioli, made with ricotta, cauliflower, lemon, capers, and pecorino Romano. The restaurant's décor is mod and cheerful. It can get noisy, so I like to go early or late to avoid the hungry crush. Upstairs, the bar is casual and upbeat, and the outside patio seating is heavenly when the weather isn't too hot. With specialty cocktails and a respectable little wine list, Olive & June is becoming quite popular after work, so make reservations. On Sunday the chef goes off menu and serves a prix-fixe, family-style dinner. There's complimentary valet parking, as the restaurant is located on a neighborhood street. The only downside for me? Olive & June closes at 10pm, and I always feel like I'm the last one there and fear someone will start vacuuming—though of course they're too classy to do that.