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Stepping into La Houppa, down a flight of stone stairs tucked under a street-lamp-flanked brownstone, means stepping into another, more tranquil city. Stained-glass light fixtures, white tablecloths, and dark-suited, ultra-attentive staffers greet regulars by name. The menu mostly hews to classic takes on Italian comfort food; well-executed pasta, brick-oven pizza, and seafood, served with over-the-top pizzazz. Updates include a caprese salad with avocado and large, salty pantelleria. Rich pumpkin risotto arrives in a hollowed-out gourd. A raw bar and a crustacean “Torre di Pisa,” teeming with oysters, clams, shrimp, lobster, and Alaskan king crab, round out the menu. The crowd’s split between well-heeled Upper East Siders and denim-clad neighborhood folks who frequent the convivial bar. — Candace Taylor

Imported buffalo mozzarella salad, $15