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A pint-sized panini shop in an area dominated by Chinese businesses, this café is a tiny blessing for anyone in need of an Italian pick-me-up. Monterone, along with the Grotto restaurant downstairs and the Nautilus bar next door, are all owned by David Wiesner and Amrei Schmitt-Fumian, an Italy-obsessed German couple dedicated to keeping things simple. At Monterone, that means strong espressos, big, bursting salads, and panini on crisp country bread. Three round tables are assembled before a tall, clean window, which frames the lightning blur of soccer players sprinting through Sara D. Roosevelt Park. A loyal lunch crowd pops in for take-out salads (one favorite being the Greco, with thick slabs of ricotta and a roasted-pepper vinaigrette), as well as some terrific, prosciutto-filled panini. Wash it all down with a fresh ginger lemonade, served ice-cold and swirling with lemon pulp. — Jon Steinberg