Profile

Albano Ballerini, the self-taught chef-owner of Aliseo, offers a seasonal, ingredient-driven menu with dishes from his native Le Marche region, east of Umbria along the Adriatic Sea. His culinary style blends contemporary flavors and traditional ingredients (olives, rosemary, figs, artichokes) via proven preparations, like braising. Welcome tweaks redefine familiar standards: Ballerini’s meat ragù builds on a base of beef, and then adds pork, chicken, and diced beef (instead of Bolognese-style ground meat) before a long braise with tomatoes. Homemade pastas might include fregnacce with octopus—a flour-saffron-polenta pasta served with Mediterranean octopus and chickpeas from Le Marche. Simpler preparations are better bets; the too-fussy appetizer of meatballs with sesame seeds proved a grainy disappointment. Tiny candles create a warm glow, and rose chintz wallpaper, brick walls, and wood furnishings add to the rusticity. Wine bottles decorate the walls, along with knickknacks and a collection of antique cameras. In season, explore the quiet, leafy patio out back. — Kim McCreight

Maltagliati, $16.50