This is our new go-to restaurant downtown, and for several reasons.
The downtown food scene has been getting more and more expensive, but Emporio, on the first floor bucks that trend, and brings the price point of a quality dinner in the Cultural District down to a reasonable level. The drinks and drafts can get expensive, but food wise, they have made it very affordable.
The food is also nothing short of fantastic. The "must have" item for us is the tomato risotto, which has an amazing flavor and is portioned well enough to serve two, even if it is a single portion in the menu.
The waits can be rough, but they do use No Wait, though sometimes the estimated time is very misleading.