L'Artusi

L'Artusi opened on West 10th Street in late 2008 as the bigger sibling of dell'anima, the small West Village place where the chef Gabriel Thompson had built a late-night following for seasonal Italian cooking. The move bought him what New York magazine called a 'palatial' open kitchen, by comparison, along with a raw bar, a cheese counter and a fryer for things like fritto misto. The plan from the start was medium-size plates and a menu that changed often.

The wine is the other half of the name: an Italian restaurant and wine bar, by its own description. The founding list, from the partner Joe Campanale, leaned on native grapes, small producers and natural growing, with grower Champagnes and a few New York State wines made from Italian varieties alongside the Italian core. It is still the place to let the floor walk you through a region you only half know. The list is posted on the restaurant's site, and people who enjoy reading ahead do.

The list is posted on the restaurant's site, and people who enjoy reading ahead do.

The room is a long, lively one with the kitchen open to it, and it suits a dinner for two at the bar as well as a table. Reservations open two weeks ahead on a rolling basis, so a Thursday is easier to plan than to improvise. Why we like it: it is a neighbourhood restaurant that has been good for long enough to stop trying to prove it.

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