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Nestled between the theater and garment districts, this Northern Italian mainstay is so old-school that it's become the venue for the kitschy mystery show Murdered by the Mob. But when the dinner theater is dark, Arno caters to lunchtime garmentos and an evening crowd of Madison Square Garden eventgoers and off-duty Broadway performers. The décor has all the predictable trappings of a white-tablecloth, red-sauce joint: floral etched-glass partitions, reproductions of classic Italian paintings, and red-jacketed waiters. Thankfully, the stereotypes stop there. Arno’s kitchen demonstrates considerable skill, with a distinctive, light touch earmarking many dishes. A spongy mozzarella crostini is so subtly breaded that it's hard to believe it's fried; generous seafood risotto, tinged with tomato, marries the ethereal grain with tender bites of calamari, scallops, and shrimp; and a fat chicken breast stuffed with asparagus and shrimp isn't nearly as daunting on the palate as it is on the plate, thanks to a dainty white-wine sauce. The pear tart—served from a rolling dessert cart, of course—offers a theatrical, and delectable, ending. — Kathleen Squires

Pollo alla pisana, $26.75; risotto ai frutti di mare, $26.95; crostini di mozzarella, $10.95; taglioni con fungi, $21.95