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This unassuming restaurant in Soho has endured for years as trendy white-hot scene-stealers have burned out around it. In true Tuscan style, the emphasis here is not on fresh faces looking to be photographed but on fresh vegetables, fish and meat, simply prepared. The sparse verbiage on the menu—in keeping with the cream-colored walls and polished wood furniture—doesn't really prepare you for the variety of flavors delivered on the plate. If there's a gimmick here, it's the presentation of multiple versions of the same item: a trio of gnocchi with different sauces and flavors; a grilled seafood entrée featuring octopus, squid, and shrimp with vegetable accompaniment. The combinations work by balancing sweet, savory and tart in subtle ways. Antipasti and salads are also fresh and inventive. Particularly effective is the lobster and asparagus with blood orange vinaigrette. — Nancy Davidson

The backroom, also known as the Boutique del Vino, doubles as a wine bar.

Lamb chops, $29