Felidia

In between writing cookbooks, Lidia Bastianich, the matriarch of the clan responsible in part for Lupa, Esca, and Becco, oversees this elegant bastion of Italian cooking. But chef Fortunato Nicotra deserves credit for a breath of energy at the range. Sauces are lighter, pastas still wonderful, and entrées get deftly tweaked. The wine list always impresses, and olive-oil connoisseurs can spring for a comparative tasting.