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Locale makes the most of its coveted corner—on a tree-lined Astoria block—by setting up nearly as much seating outdoors as indoors and by flinging open the wide wrought-iron-paned windows. The interior is pared-down industrial chic: whitewashed brick walls, a wagon wheel chandelier with exposed bulbs, and black canvases depicting hunched nudes. Candles and plush red banquettes create a gothic, romantic air in which diners can opt for a communal table with bar stools or cherry wood tables and chairs, or even an elevated lounge area with couches. More important than where you perch is that someone in your party orders—and shares—the unforgettable Fagottini alla Barbabietole, pinched clusters of homemade pasta shaped like a “beggar’s purse,” stuffed with sweet walnut bits and rich gorgonzola then drizzled in a red-beet mascarpone sauce. The pappardelle with mushrooms and pulpy tomatoes doesn’t have the same wow factor, but it’s well-executed, as is the salmon spiked with lemon, capers, and pepper that arrives on a bed of arugula. Panini highlight classic Italian products like prosciutto and asiago cheese. Portions are so generous that you can bank on taking home leftovers for lunch the next day. — Kate Appleton

The kitchen closes Monday through Thursday at 11:30 p.m. and Friday though Sunday at 11 p.m.

Fagottini alla barbabietole, $16; pappardelle with mushrooms, $13.50