Just when you think Cal-Ital has exhausted its possibilities, this assiduous little place in Oakland’s Glenview district renews faith in the genre. Chef-owner Chris Shepherd (co-proprietor, with wife Elizabeth Frumusa, of Aperto on Potrero Hill) makes a roster of deceptively simple dishes shine, thanks to technical exactness that’s usually unheard of in places where no dish strays over $20. Vivid little bites of cicchetti pack serious flavor, but pastas are the kitchen’s real glory. Casunzei (beet ravioli) are transcendently earthy, while Swiss chard malfatti (dumplinglike mounds of sautéed greens and ricotta) make you want to dissolve into the browned butter and sage they float on. Even when an entrée like crisp black cod on Sardinian fregola tastes a tad ordinary, the chef’s flawless execution still manages to give it a lift. (J.B.)