The first and most ambitious of Franco Nuschese’s restaurants is all about celeb-spotting and buzz—it’s also a tough reservation on weekends and sometimes even during the week. On a summer afternoon, the patio is an appealing hideaway for dining on luxe plates such as vitello tonnato with capers from Pantelleria or veal chop Milanese with arugula-and-tomato salad. In winter, pasta with shaved truffles is an option, albeit a pricey one. And you can always go bargain basement with the Margherita pizza.
-March, 2008