After a long day of walking 14th street with remarkable Rebecca, who was visiting for a few days while on winter break from Brown, we sauntered into Scarpetta to quell our hungry stomachs. The wind and cold had lashed our cheeks all day, chilling our bones, making us crave a comforting Italian meal. This warmly lit restaurant made us immediately feel as if we were leaving one neighborhood on 14th and entering the more sophisticated side of 14th on the border of the Meatpacking District. With low lights, dark wooden floors, paneled walls, and a well-dressed clientele, Scarpetta offers a welcoming space to enjoy an incredible and memorable meal. To begin, we ordered their creamy polenta with truffled mushrooms. It was truly mouthwatering -- earthy in flavor with savory mushrooms, olive oil, and the saltiness of parmesan cheese. We shared a plate of perfectly crisped shoe-string vegetables, and then moved on to their signature spaghetti with tomato and basil and their ricotta raviolini with preserved truffles and parmesan froth. Perfection -- the pasta, al dente; the tomato sauce, subtle; and the raviolini, delicate and bursting with flavor. We contemplated ordering dessert just to forestall having to go back out into the cold, but we decided that we could not handle another morsel. We were filled to the brim, but it was outstanding, and isn't it always good to leave a place wanting more?