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Why struggle to define New York cuisine? Just look around. We're obviously an Italian city, with more pizza parlors and so-called-Tuscan trattorias opening every day. This one, a gracious, two-storied midtown oasis, manages to distinguish itself with specialties from Emilia-Romagna, like a dense griddled flatbread called piadina, quartered and topped with salami or broccoli rabe. Two unusual takes on chicken soup feature delicate dumplings—veal and Parmesan, or bread crumbs and Parmesan—floating in cold-curing capon and chicken broths. The tagliatelle alla bolognese stars the delicious meat ragu that made Bologna famous, and the lasagne is a fine example of the meat-and-pasta casserole before it was infiltrated by vegetables, seafood, and every other misguided newfangled variation. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Dumplings with veal and parmesan in capon broth, $12.50; dumplings with parmesan and bread crumbs in chicken broth, $13.50; tagliatelle alla bolognese, $17.50; lasagna, $17.50

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Lasagne (2009)
• Dream Meals (2005)

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