Like many Hill residents, I spent the summer trying to peer into the brown paper-covered glass panels of what had been Mehane, a charming Turkish restaurant best enjoyed on a warm spring evening sampling the selection of wine specials. Now the space at 633 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, has been home to Locanda for some months, and not only are the brown paper coverings gone from the glass panels at the front, but a nicely polished Italian eatery has emerged to offer neighborhood folks and the city at large great food and service.

A few physical improvements have made the dining space a joy. Soft fabric on the walls and panels along the ceilings reduce the noise produced by full tables and comfortable but unpadded chairs. Also, a two-level island now stands near the reception desk at the end of the center row of tables, allowing staff to pick up water pitchers and drop off glasses without racing the length of the restaurant and disturbing diners. I very much enjoyed my own recent meal at one of those center tables thanks to these small tweaks.

After you settle in, ask your server for a dish of marinated olives as you consider the wine list. (A bread basket and water arrive without asking and make fine welcome offerings.) This inexpensive appetizer is great to share, and the flavors brought to bear in this little dish are incredible. Garlic cloves, orange zest, and bay leaves were among the ingredients in my most recent serving, which arrived warm and delicious to the table.

Other standout starters include the grilled octopus, the crostini and the calamari friti. Grilled octopus should be something any food adventurer samples, and Locanda’s version rewards that instinct. As for the other two items, most folks would skip them on a menu with this many unusual offerings, but here, they can’t be missed. The crostini (toasted bread slices) arrive smeared with a smoky-cream flavored pimento paste topped with shaved manchego. And the beauty of the fried calamari is its tender inside/crisp outside that is always such a challenge with anything fried. The dipping sauces that accompany it are themselves works of art. As such, try the crispy rings and tentacles swirled in the orange pimento aioli reminiscent of smoked paprika or the citrus-bright salsa verde, which has the smooth texture of a well-done pesto.

Other ways to start a fine meal include the tangy manchego and caramelized onion soup that arrives topped with crisped prosciutto. Some of these same cheeses mentioned here and that tasty prosciutto can be found on the meat and cheese trays. I like to let the server pick a good mix of items and have never been disappointed by a single offering. They are certainly large enough and rich enough to share, so make it a tasting if you plan to eat another course.

Now, if you want to save calories for a later course, you can choose a lighter starter in the form of one of Locanda’s gorgeous salads. Now, regular readers of this space know that this reviewer is not a lettuce-eating girl, but even the basic greens here – arugola and radicchio with shaved parmigiano cheese and a simple lemon vinaigrette – make a great start to a meal. My personal favorite is the roasted beet and goat cheese salad, mostly because I love the earthiness of beets with almost anything, but the bright and sour blood orange and fennel salad is also a great choice for those who want a flavor explosion in the form of salad.

Many of the items described above can be found on the lunch and dinner menus at Locanda, but a one interesting “lunch-only” item worth noting here is the lamb burger, a more than generous helping of lamb and goat cheese that arrives on a toasted potato roll. The accompanying potatoes are perfectly roasted, so if you have room for even a few, do fit them in.

My favorite continuation of a meal at Locanda is pasta, listed as “primi” or first course on this menu. At home, I am a pasta cook, and it is often hard for me to find such dishes that I would rather go out for. However, more than one such item exists at this lovely addition to the Hill. Pasta with seafood and green sauce is brightened by lemon, with a few flecks of red pepper and just enough sauce to highlight the shellfish. The duck ragu offers the kind of rich meat sauce flavor many diners will crave and even stood as the sole dish in a meal for one of my dining companions on a chilly winter evening. However, trying the ravioli of the day can be the best choice you make on this menu. My favorite recent special included goat cheese in the filling and a sauce of chive butter, a combination that had me smiling from start to finish.

Most of the dishes offered as “secondi” are traditional main courses. They run about $30 each and are centered around protein. At Locanda, however, traditional can be fantastic. The ribeye arrives with grill marks outside and a pimento rub that doesn’t overpower the tender bright pink center. The creamy side of potato & parsnip gratin is an excellent compliment to the steak, bringing a salty cheese tang to the meat. The Chianti-braised lamb shank is another fine choice, sitting atop a smooth celery root puree. Fish is a fine alternative, and the grilled whole branzino is the best of many tasty fish dishes I have sampled from this menu. The fennel & herb salad that accompanies it can be a nice lighter side after a heavier starter and before a rich dessert.

Speaking of the “dolce” course, when the chocolate & orange semifreddo first came to my table, I didn’t understand how it related to what I have come to know as this frozen, custard-like dessert. It was hard as a rock and went sliding around the plate. However, as the treat softened, the skill of the pastry chef became more than evident in the contrasting textures and flavors of the orange and chocolate layers. Frankly, each could have stood on its own, but together the two elements made an excellent winter dessert and a fine end to a meal. The gelato is also a fine closer at Locanda. I recently enjoyed the dulce de leche, which tasted like a cold, perfect caramel candy and reminded me of Halloweens past (this is a good thing). However, my favorite gelato ever was the basil flavor on offer some months ago, its pretty pink color belying the tart flavor,

Of course, you can always just finish a nice bottle for dessert, and the wine list at Locanda invites that choice. A number of bottles here are offered for under $40. Wines by the glass tend to fall in the $10 range, and the full pours and pretty glasses make the experience worth it. Some of my favorite whites are the Falanghina and the Orvieto, and if you have never tried these Italian alternatives to the standard Pinot or Chardonnay, you should. A very fine Prosecco from Nino Franco is also on offer here, and any celebration that brings you to Locanda should include a bottle of this bubbly. Among the many great reds on the restaurant’s long list are Sangiovese ‘Notturno’ and more than one tasty Chianti Classico.  The best advice I can give you here is to tell your server what you like and get a recommendation or a taste before buying the bottle. It’s a great way to get to know Italian wine if you aren’t that familiar.

Service at Locanda is nothing short of excellent in my experience, and that is the final touch that can make a good restaurant great.