Hotel restaurants don’t always have the best reputation for creative menu offerings or lively atmosphere. But Formaggio Taverna—decorated win a sunburst of orange and red and boasting a menu of season produce and artisanal details—redefines what hotel restaurants can do in the kitchen. Formaggio, in the Marriott Hotel in Rancho Cordova, has a warm and relaxing atmosphere, including a sprawling outdoor patio, that bodes well with the traditional hearty Italian foods. The menu features traditional pastas, reinvented: for example, lasagna with veal, beef, pork and Italian sausage ragu and béchamel sauce; or Spaghetti with clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and plum tomatoes in a white wine sauce. Try a wood-fire oven pizza—the Four Seasons has asparagus, mushrooms, artichokes and ham; the shrimp pesto pizza comes with pesto, smoked mozzarella, goat cheese, shrimp and spicy chili oil. Pork osso bucco, garlic Parmesan ahi or the Gorgonzola-stuffed beef filet all are worth a try. Take a seat outdoors overlooking the hotel pool and order from the California-heavy wine list.

Reservations: Recommended

Payment methods: Amex, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Alcohol: Full bar

Corkage fee: $9

Hours: Monday–Sunday 6:30 a.m.–11 p.m.