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On a trattoria-packed stretch of Mulberry Street, Da Nico stands apart for two reasons: its enormous outdoor dining area and its reputation as one of ex-Mayor Giuliani’s favorite places to eat. The duplex space, with three distinct but equally noisy dining areas, is contemporary-suburban in style: light wood and exposed-brick dominate, walls are gold-trimmed, and art is faux-deco. In case you might forget, the restaurant’s name is gold-emblazoned everywhere—from the pleather-covered menus to the waiters’ vests and ties. The typically Italian-American menu is heavy on meats, with ample pasta, pizza, and seafood options. Portions are huge. Among traditional dishes, like pollo marsala and spaghetti puttanesca, flavors are robust and sauces can be overpowering. This is, after all, a baddabing kind of place. The complimentary plate of zeppole (hot, fried puffs sprinkled with sugar) that rounds out the meal is a generous finale, and a reminder that the annual San Gennaro Festival consumes Da Nico’s stretch of sidewalk every fall. — Stephanie Adler Yuan

On summery days you can eat on the patio, where wood-shingled walls and multi-color canvas umbrellas set a relaxing scene for a substantial meal.

Pizza Napoletana, $11; pollo scarpariello, $18.75