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On the surface, there isn't much that makes Il Nido stand out from the throng of Italian restaurants in New York. One difference is the entertainment of watching waiters finish hot dishes tableside, using gas-fueled carts and lots of copper pans. The menu—heavy on classics like risotto, spaghetti Bolognese, saltimbocca, and whole roasted fish—is complemented by an extensive, predominantly Italian wine list. Tapered candles add a delicate touch to the wood-beamed, brown banquette-lined room teeming with arrangements of Stargazer lilies. The Insalata di Campo, with sottocenere cheese and truffle oil dressing, turns out to be a beautiful plate of mache. And the verdant basil pesto coating the house made trenette is well-balanced, thanks in part to the server grating just the right amount of parmesan as he readies it for plating. Although the kitchen can be inconsistent with other less carefully conceived dishes, you won't leave hungry. — Carey Meyers

Insalata di campo, $16; trenette al pesto, $28; pappardelle con funghi, $30; scaloppine de vitello "Il Nido", $37