Profile

Neighborhood residents and owners Thiru and Heather Rajamani remodeled the backyard, interior, and façade of the 70-plus-seat former Lou Lou space on DeKalb Avenue and named it after their 2-year-old son. Thiru is an eleven-year veteran of Manhattan's Frank, where he started as busboy and eventually became a manager. Dino's chef, Cesar Perlapa, cooked at Frank for a dozen years. ("Frank [Prisinzano] supports us," says Thiru.) The rustic, Italian comfort food on the menu recalls Heather's Northern Italian heritage with bucatini all’ amartriciana, veal meatballs in brood with lemon zest, a green and black kale Caesar salad, and an array of fresh pastas and salads, all in a $12 to $18 price range. “Our philosophy is super-fresh and super-simple Italian rustic food,” Heather explains. The full bar emphasizes Italian wines, as well as a cocktail list created by a consultant from Pegu Club.