Best Fritto Misto, August 2012

The deep-fried specialty that's now a restaurant standard started out as street food, something a Venetian fishwife might fix alongside the Rialto in the smoky dawn. At Sfixio, chef Massimo Denaro strives to retain this spirit. Cut thick, the calamari is quickly dunked in milk before being dredged in flour and dropped into low-temperature oil. Yes, there are shrimp, zucchini, and carrot strips in the preparation, but it's what happens to the flour as it slowly crisps that makes Denaro's rendition superior. Tossed with parsley and splashed with lemon, this misto could be presented in a newspaper cone, though here it arrives in a porcelain bowl. » 9737 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills.