Unharnessed talent and blond ambition go a long way toward describing Holly Smith, who took a good thing and made it better when she bought Kirkland's 20-year-old Café Juanita. Refreshing the café's looks with a swift cosmetic makeover, Smith reinvigorated the soul of the kitchen, too, infusing the menu with magic by drawing on seasonal inspiration and a pure passion for Northern Italy. Few restaurants excite me as much as this one, in large part because the food's "Wow" factor is considerable, but also because the setting and the service maintain the perfect balance between casual and formal, understated and overblown.

At home in this converted house built on a wooded expanse alongside Juanita Creek, I can hear myself think, converse freely across a broad table and howl with laughter without feeling like someone's going to shush-me-up. I can (and do) close my eyes and growl with delight when I take a fork to grilled octopus, risotto mantecato, braised rabbit and fonduta ravioli, or use my fingers to aid in deconstructing a whole branzino, its delectable charred skin exposing moist white fish. This is the rustic, rewarding fare I dream about, courtesy of a woman I'm certain is my cosmic soul sister.

Chef/owner Holly Smith strikes the perfect balance between casual and formal at Café Juanita, where Northern Italian cuisine is the passion she pursues.

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