THE NAME MEANS "SUNDAY" IN ITALIAN, and partners John Besh and Alon Shaya have created a restaurant in the renovated historic Roosevelt Hotel that is as warm and inviting as a traditional Sunday supper in a rural Italian village, where each bountiful dish is lovingly prepared with the purest ingredients according to ages-old technique. Domenica's warm and welcoming dining room is anchored by a number of refectory tables for just such lively meals, and none of the restaurant's handsome wooden tables is covered with a formal cloth: instead, in keeping with the homey tone, each place is marked with a paper placemat printed with the menu. Custom-brewed beers and an Italian-focused wine list perfectly complement the rustic country fare. In January 2010, New Orleans CityBusiness honored Chef Alon Shaya and Domenica as Culinary Connoisseurs’ Best Executive Chef and Best Casual Upscale Establishment of the year.