I Cavallini

Across Grand Street from The Four Horsemen and run in the same restless spirit, I Cavallini is Italian on its own terms. There is no carbonara and no ossobuco; dishes are written as lists of ingredients, and the room hums with ambient music and the clink of serious wine.

Begin with the oil-soaked focaccia and whipped ricotta, then let the kitchen surprise you: fried eel toast with pine nuts and golden raisins, mussels under vinegary croutons and pickled tomatoes, chewy pasta squiggles in coarse pesto. The menu turns with the seasons, so ask what's new and what to drink with it.