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When the pre- and post-theater crowds arrive, owner-manager Joe Gambuto is in his element, happily bantering with customers or complimenting them. This is a place where the food plays second fiddle to the socializing. Below the sky-like pastel painting on the ceiling cluster broad-shouldered suit jackets and lots of gold jewelry, some of it on the men. The cuisine is described as northern Italian, but this is more of a gesture than a rule. While you might find chicken alla Milanese, the menu is freighted with dishes that come from lower in the Boot, such as spaghetti puttanesca, a Lazio specialty, and the Caprese appetizer, with mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Flavors tend to be muted. For instance, the pizza, available at lunchtime, has a chewy, doughy crust but lacks any yeasty taste. Desserts stick to the too-familiar path of tiramisu, fruit, and airy, almost luridly colored gelati. — Jennifer Paull

Bresaola with arugula, $16