Otto is without question the most overlooked of the Mario Batali-Joe Bastianich restaurants in Las Vegas. It’s not the newest, like the gourmet burger bar downstairs on the Venetian’s casino floor, and it doesn’t get the attention of culinary category leaders Carnevino (steakhouse) and B&B Ristorante (pasta). It should—between its menu of antipasti, pizza, pasta and rustic yet refined entrées, a stellar wine list and a prime location in the Grand Canal Shoppes’ whimsical St. Mark’s Square, Otto might be the easiest choice of the four restaurants. And it satisfies every time.

Otto—still under the guidance of culinary director Jason Neve and executive chef Danny Herrera (both helped open the place)—celebrates its ninth birthday at the Venetian on April 25. Specials are available all month long, including a $99 Tasting for Two five-course dinner, but you should seriously consider making Otto part of your regular rotation. Small plates are mostly under $15, excellent Roman-style pizzas range between $18 and $25 and bold pasta dishes are under $25. These prices and its big Vegas location make Otto one of the best restaurants for locals to take visiting tourist friends and family.

Gather your group and order at least one plate from each menu section. Don’t skip Otto’s house-cured meats and diverse cheese selections, and when you get to the fritti (fried) antipasti, you’re going to be tempted by the creamy, crispy ricotta fritters or arancini ($10). My pick: artichoke alla Romana ($11), slightly briny ’chokes lightly coated in seasoned breadcrumbs, topped with fresh mint and pickled onions and ready for a generous squeeze of lemon.

Otto’s menu changes with the seasons, and right now, there’s a genius version of caprese salad ($14). Since we’re not close to prime tomato time, these are roasted to sweet richness and plated with luscious burrata, a drizzle of pesto and a sprinkle of pine nuts—a spring delight. Keep it clean with other vegetable dishes, from asparagus with romesco sauce ($11) to sugar snap peas laced with pecorino cheese ($10).

My favorite Otto pizzas are the Romana, with anchovy, capers and chili, and the vongole, with clams and pepperoncino. But even if you go minimalist with a classic margherita, you’re in good hands thanks to the thin, crisp, addictive crust. Gemelli with sausage and broccoli rabe ($20) and black spaghetti with Sicilian pesto and calamari ($23) are among Otto’s most popular pastas, but if there’s a single dish absolutely everyone orders, it’s the braised pork shoulder ($26). Slow cooked forever, flash-fried for a near-crunchy outer texture, this is the meat of your dreams. It comes topped with a zingy cucumber-Fresno chile salad with an Averna reduction sauce, and it’s amazing.

I haven’t returned to Otto for enough meals in the past nine years, and you probably haven’t, either. Let’s try to be better.

Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria Venetian, 702-677-3390. Daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.