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Forgettable paintings and ordinary brown tables are not a good omen, but the Italian comfort food here is surprisingly good. Notaro doesn't break any new ground with its Tuscan-inspired menu, but they do serve flavorful, fresh food without burning a hole in your pocket. Not all dishes are created equally. That means avoid the sautéed calamari doused in what tastes like saffron gravy and stick to the tried and true: eggplant stuffed with ricotta, or a bright and light beef carpaccio with paper thin slices of fresh red raw beef atop a spicy arugula salad that bites back as it should. All sorts seem to relax easily enough, without hustle-bustle or attitude, under the watchful and attentive eye of owner Angelo Peralta. — Nancy Davidson

Gnocchi al pesto con gamberetti, $16.95; pollo scarpariello, $16.95; carpaccio di manzo, $11.95