Italian bistro helmed by a <em>Top Chef</em> alum

Doing anything with your in-laws can prove taxing, which is why you should never do anything with your in-laws. Heeding that advice, and starting new, Firenze Osteria

Just now open in the former Barsac Brasserie space, Firenze Osteria's a classy Italian bistro w/ interior renovations coming in stages (the be-chandeliered, leather-chaired main dining room's ready now, with an upstairs lounge and private rooms on their way), all from Fabio Viviani, a Top Chef contestant who recently went through an acrimonious split on his old place with his father-in-law/former business partner/awkward holiday dining companion. To up the ante, the massive menu's full of gourmet takes on upscale classics, like an osso bucco Milanese w/ Chianti and vegetable sauce over saffron and crispy pancetta risotto; an 18 oz prime angus rib eye w/ fresh ground pepper, roasted asparagus, and lemon; and braised short rib ravioli w/ taleggio sauce and balsamic vinegar aged 25 years, which is the age you like your women-who-never-talk-to-you-in-bars. To ensure the food goes down smooth, there're a slew of specialty martinis (the "Balsamic", w/ muddled strawberries, fresh lime, vanilla flavored rum, and a touch of vinaigrette; "Arnold Palmer" w/ sweet tea vodka and lemonade, etc) as well as 30+ wines by the glass, ranging from a $6 Cali Chardonnay to a $45 Italian Gaja "Dagromis" Barolo, labeled as "A Glass for a True Wine Lover", though if you're truly a wine lover it'd be "Two Glasses".

To celebrate the new spot, Fabio's throwing an opening party on Sat night from 4:30-7:30 w/ free apps and wine -- which can make doing things with your in-laws easier -- wait. What the heck are you still doing with your in-laws?