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Rough-hewn in appearance but refined in presentation, this East Village outpost of a well-liked Manhattan chainlet fits neatly into its environment. With exposed brick, café mirrors, and scattered retro tchotchkes, Café Peppe Rosso keeps the surroundings simple to let the hearty Italian fare speak for itself. Most of the time, it succeeds. A heaping salad of arugula, gorgonzola, sliced apple, and olive oil achieves delicious harmony, and homemade pastas like pappardelle with spicy sausage come properly seasoned and generously portioned. Sauteed calamari dishes would welcome a little complexity. Owned by Italians, Caffe Pepe Rosso approximates the kind of trattoria where the setting’s unpretentious, the cooking is earthy, and the welcome is genuine. — Michael Kaminer

Rughetta, mela, e gorgonzola, $7.95; pappardelle con salsuccia piccante, $11.95; salmone in crosta, $13.95