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Like nearby Grand Central, family run Figaro is more of a way station than a final destination: Tourists and solo diners duck in for a bite, suits come for happy hour, and friends catch a game on the flat-screens before heading to the main event. Those clustered at the imposing V-shaped bar (10 beers on tap) are going to have to deal—or join in—with sports fans periodically erupting in roars and claps. Dinner, as you’d expect, is a far cry from authentic Italian. A gooey morass of mozzarella and tomato sauce overwhelms the eggplant parmigiana while the fettuccine carbonera fares only somewhat better with its prosciutto, onions and cream sauce. The kitchen keeps more customers happy by supplying buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, and chicken fingers. When the bill arrives, the reasonable prices make it hard to complain: $5 for a Pinot Grigio or $4 for a domestic beer during the 4-7pm work week happy hour. — Kate Appleton

Pesto chicken salad, $9.95