Plates are optional at the Polenta Table at Fortina in the Dekalb Market Hall.

"It's a very old-school way of serving polenta right on the table," says Fortina executive chef and owner Christian Petroni.

That creamy, soul-warming polenta is only the base. It's topped with meatballs, braciole, bone marrow and vegetables -- although the toppings change with the seasons and whatever's being cooked in the kitchen.

Reservations for the Polenta Table must be made in advance. There's currently a backlog.