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By day, the gently-priced Caffe e’ Vino acts as a de facto cafeteria for the Brooklyn Hospital Center, located across the street. After sundown, couples begin to fill the raw wood tables and upholstered banquettes. While the menu adheres to a basic Italian 101 formula, it’s one of the few spots in the neighborhood for red sauce staples. A stack of fresh peppery arugula strewn with Pecorino curls, walnuts, and sweet pear slices dressed in lemony vinaigrette stands out from a caprese salad, which is ho hum when tomatoes are out of season. Pastas tend to be more successful than secondi. Ground veal, whether in a hearty ragu over fettuccine or formed into tiny polpettine, is a welcome antidote to plain chicken breast and salmon. — Krista Garcia

Insalata di rucola, $7; fettuccine al ragu di vitello, $13