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Caffè del Mare opened at the hallowed crossroads of MacDougal and Bleecker Streets in 2004 and quickly became a popular local haunt, especially with trucker-hatted, jeans-clad NYU undergrads. Outside, café seating and floor-to-ceiling French doors beckon passersby. The inside is similarly inviting, with maroon walls, white Metro tiling, black-and-beige terrazzo floors, and wooden ceiling beams. The restaurant’s nicely stocked bar features flattering opaque yellow side-lighting, for an appealing retro glow. The menu is Italian, with Southern-style pastas and entrées that nod to the North. Some non-Mediterranean concessions to late-adolescent cravings, like burgers and wraps, are also thrown into the mix. But like so many of its young patrons, the restaurant’s a kind of well-groomed underachiever, and the kitchen can be hobbled by inconsistent or too-tame flavors, or just too much melted mozzarella. — Michael Anstendig

You want to laugh? Comedy Corner occupies the restaurant's downstairs level and offers a nightly venue for stand-up performers as well as a pared-down version of the restaurant's menu.

Veal pizzaiola, $18