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There’s nothing improbable about the animated Mediterranean-style cooking at Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia’s restaurant, Mia Dona. It comes at you, in two-fisted, Psilakis-patented style, like the proverbial freight train. Arpaia and the talented Psilakis began their collaboration (they operate the Greek establishments Kefi, on the Upper West Side, and Anthos, in midtown) at a three-star restaurant called Dona, which closed in 2007 because of landlord troubles. Mia Dona, which occupies a narrow railroad-car space among the upscale Indian restaurants along East 58th Street, is not as ambitious or stylish as its namesake. But what the room lacks in ambience (the ceiling is low, the tables are jammed together, the racket is deafening), the kitchen makes up for in quality and cost (nothing on the menu is over $26). Among the heartier dishes, I liked the grilled spiedini (sweetbreads, lamb, and quail, expertly charred, on skewers) and Psilakis’s already legendary crispy rabbit (served atop a mountain of vinegar chips). Purists may argue that you can’t taste the rabbit (they’re right), but as a dissertation on the pleasures of deep-fried crunchiness, it’s difficult to beat. For something marginally lighter, try the hamachi crudo (drizzled with salt and oil and laid out on a marble slab), or the chitarra pasta (with pepperoncini, strips of zucchini, and Manila clams caked in Parmesan), or even the sliced pork chop (plated with frisée, crumblings of pork, and a wet fried egg). But this is a restaurant for hefty eaters, and the heftiest treats of all are the lamb ribs, which are braised to a fatty tenderness and caked with a rich beet gremolata. If you’re still standing after a slab or two, I recommend the chocolate-hazelnut semifreddo or the cannoli for dessert. Beware: The latter come three to a plate, with ice cream. — Adam Platt

Many of these delicacies are available as part of the $24 prix fixe lunch.

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New York Magazine Reviews

• Adam Platt's Full Review (5/19/08)
• Gael Greene's Full Review (3/31/08)

Best of New York Awards

• Best Spaghetti and Meatballs (2009)

Featured In

• Adam Platt's Where to Eat 2009 (1/5/09)