Locanda Verde

Tucked into TriBeCa, Locanda Verde has been delighting Italian food lovers since it opened its doors in 2009. Rustic ease is prevalent in the decor and the menu, which features casual basics like sheep's milk ricotta with sea salt and herbs on chunks of wood-fired peasant bread, to lamb meatball sliders, to squid ink linguini with Manila clams, soppressata, garlic and shishito peppers. The vibe here - along with the crowd - is downtown cool, the high-heeled fashionistas and established young professionals clinking glasses of vino against a brick-walled backdrop. An Italian taverna dropped into a New York postcard, this Italian joint is worth every penny.