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As a tribute to its namesake, Bravo Gianni couldn't be more ostentatious: The restroom area is lined with pictures of the grandfatherly Gianni and with famous figures like Bill Clinton and Muhammad Ali. Gianni himself is in the center of the dining room's action, bossing waiters around and plating pasta. Though the décor is old-school—reddish lighting, smoky mirrored walls, and green carpet—the cooking stands out among Northern Italian restaurants for emphasizing the Val D'Aosta, Italy's most northwesterly region. Ossobuco veal knuckle—really chunks of veal shank—is braised in a wine-and-tomato tapenade, served with gelatinous, buttery cooked bone marrow and a cheesy Milanese risotto. Chicken alla Valdostana, bone-in chicken breasts sautéed in white wine, is covered with crackling baked fontina cheese, giving it a salty intensity. Seafood choices include whole fish or generous portions of plump gamberoni Santa Margherita—large prawns sautéed with garlic, Ligurian-style. On the dessert cart are treats like poached pears in wine and a thick chocolate cheesecake containing layers of chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, cheesecake, and fudge icing. It recalls a decadence not seen since the eighties, which Bravo Gianni is still trying to hold on to. — Timothy Cooper

Ossobuco veal knuckle, $25; pollo alla valdostana, $15.75