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Just west of Bleecker Street's Restaurant Row, Trattoria Spaghetto runs counter to the trend. Sure, they offer similarly low prices for heaping portions, but there's one added bonus: This place delivers on quality, too. The invitingly quiet room—well-spaced tables, gingham tablecloths, assorted cisterns, and framed posters—evinces a countrified allure, and the home-style Italian menu understands that this rusticity is its most effective calling card. When ordering, the simpler the better; if you're after penne or linguine, there’s a wide array to please you. Know in advance that many dishes are intensely garlicky. Hey, in this neighborhood, that’s all the better for fending off free comedy barkers once you hit the pavement post-meal. — Jonathan Durbin

Antipasto della casa, $9.75; veal parmigiana, $16.50