There's no reason to feel self-conscious when stepping into the dining room of this family-owned Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The Spino brothers — Vito and Anthony Jr. — and their staff treat every diner who ventures into their 32-year-old venue the same — even the sheepish lone customers who come in clutching a book or a magazine. That means there's no pressure to put on a solo show at the curved, heavy-shellacked bar. Instead, you're encouraged to mangia just like the big parties that take over the bigger six-tops and lustily dine on steak Modiga and fettuccine puttanesca. The veteran waitresses at Anthony's can even get a little maternal with a single diner ("Do you need more bread and butter, honey?"), which is always comforting after a rough day.
