Family-friendly portions of tortellini, penne and gnocchi served for cheap in Little Italy.

The Scene
You'll spy contented diners clustered around black-and-white checked tables under framed posters of Italian movies if you peek through the picture windows from the street. But then you wouldn't be able to hear the music piped into this collection of small dining rooms which, defying your prejudicial expectations, are more likely to be filled with the vocal stylings of Bob Marley than Andrea Bocelli.

The Food
Don't skip the house salad with its sweetly tangy dressing and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Then before the entree, see if you can convince a friend to split an appetizer of the pane rotundo, a lightly toasted, hollowed round of Italian bread brushed with butter and garlic then topped with jumbo shrimp smothered in creamy scampi sauce. Main courses find chicken, sausage, and seafood prepared as cacciatores, marsalas, and parmigianas while the fresh pastas are prepared al dente.