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Off the Menu

Italian in an Intimate Setting Comes to Greenwich Village

Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli, a married couple, now have their own restaurant, Don Angie, in Greenwich Village.Credit...Casey Kelbaugh for The New York Times

DON ANGIE Some married couples strive for a home of their own. For the chefs Scott Tacinelli and Angie Rito, who have been cooking together since 2008, most recently at Quality Italian in Midtown Manhattan, their dream was to own a restaurant. They married in Florence, Italy, in 2015, and now they have their restaurant, a fairly intimate yet airy 58-seat space, done in white with rich marble accents. Both chefs are Italian-American, he from New Jersey and she from Cleveland. They’re putting a personal spin on some classics, like dressing garganelli with a “broken meatball” sauce, putting escargots instead of clams in a preparation for oreganata, using prime rib to make a braciola for two, and tossing a Caesar salad with chrysanthemum greens instead of romaine. “We’re definitely on the same page when it comes to food,” Ms. Rito said. Her husband added, “It’s not easy cooking together, but I trust Angie’s palate more than my own.” They’re also specializing in “red” amaro aperitifs, and the house wine, Don Angie Cali Chianti, is a Sangiovese from California and comes in a bottle wrapped in old-fashioned straw: 103 Greenwich Avenue (12th Street), 212-889-8884, donangienyc.com.

CELESTINE The focus is on the Eastern Mediterranean at this restaurant from an experienced team: Julian Brizzi of Rucola and Grand Army Bar; Noah Bernamoff of Mile End; Joe Campanale of the soon-to-open Fausto in Park Slope, Brooklyn; and the chef, Garett McMahan, who cooked at the Harrison and Perilla. Mr. McMahan depends on a wood-burning grill for flatbreads and whole fish. His menu segues from meze to appetizers like a salad of halloumi, hazelnuts and apples, then moves on to dishes like wood-roasted chicken with basmati rice, saffron and squash. The restaurant, with 65 seats inside and another 45 on an impending terrace, offers a sweeping East River vista. (Opens Thursday): 1 John Street (Pearl Street), Dumbo, Brooklyn, 718-522-5356, celestinebk.com.

FERRIS This is where Greg Proechel, who was the chef at Le Turtle, has landed, in a hotel restaurant run by Charles Seich, formerly at Major Food Group. Here, Mr. Proechel has come up with some fairly challenging combinations, like blood sausage with grilled dates and toasted seeds, beets with black sesame tahini, Iberico pork collar with mushrooms and peppers, and lobster with pumpkin and whey. The hotel also has a roof bar, Good Behavior, with tiki drinks, and an all-day cafe, Paper, serving coffee and pastries. (Wednesday): Made Hotel, 44 West 29th Street, 212-213-4429, ferrisnyc.com.

VINI E FRITTI A classic aperitivo bar is the third entry in Danny Meyer’s homage to Rome in the Redbury Hotel. Sparking wines and Champagnes, spritzes, cocktails, and red and white wines are poured at a long counter and at a cluster of tables in the high-ceilinged space. The chef Joe Tarasco’s menu is long on fried tidbits, mostly vegetables, plus a fritto misto, marinated vegetables and a few sandwiches: 30 East 30th Street, no phone, vinifritti.com.

LEGASEA The chef Jason Hall, formerly of Gotham Bar & Grill, is in the kitchen of this seafood dining room on the second floor of the new Moxy Times Square hotel. The restaurant is managed by Ralph Scamardella and the rest of the Tao Group, which also runs major restaurants all over town. Ivory and deep gray tiles create the motifs from David Rockwell’s designers. Mr. Hall’s menu employs seafood from across the globe, with stops in Italy, Japan, New England and Spain along the way. The hotel will also have a cafe called Egghead featuring breakfast sandwiches and the like. (Thursday): Moxy Times Square Hotel, 485 Seventh Avenue (36th Street), 212-268-1888, legaseany.com.

LA PECORA BIANCA This popular NoMad Italian restaurant, which is as much about wine as it is about food, has opened a Midtown Manhattan branch. The space, finished in pale tones, is larger than the original, allowing the owner, Mark Barak, to have a typical Italian standing bar for morning coffee, evening aperitifs and sandwiches in between. Gelato and coffee are dispensed from a window onto the street. Mr. Barak has hired a new chef, Cruz Goler, who worked with Mario Batali for many years, to oversee the food at both restaurants. Snacky spuntini like arancini and prosciutto bomboloni have been added to a refined Italian menu. (Friday): 950 Second Avenue (50th Street), 212-899-9996, lapecorabianca.com.

JALAPA JAR The Brooklyn Heights kiosk for Tex-Mex takeout has spun off a larger branch with seating and a menu of tacos, salads, various bowls, and boards piled with guacamole, dips and salsas: 384 Schermerhorn Street (Flatbush Avenue), Downtown Brooklyn, 347-689-9531, jalapajar.com.

BROOKLYN LABEL Comfort food dominates the menu at this inviting new spot: 180 Franklin Street (Java Street), Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 347-689-4072, brooklynlabel180.com.

WAGAMAMA This branch is the latest New York outpost of the 25-year-old London-based chain for Japanese and other Asian fare served at communal tables: 55 Third Avenue (11th Street), 917-636-6030, wagamama.us.

PETER BECK, whose name has been linked to a number of Indian restaurants, is now the chef at Nirvana in Curry Hill.

SEAN MCPAUL, who was the executive chef at Ludlow House, a private club on the Lower East Side, is the new executive chef at High Street on Hudson in the West Village.

IBRAHIM MOHAMMED is the new chef at Belgian Beer Café in NoMad. The restaurant’s new owner, Skel Islamaj, is an owner of B.Café on the Upper East Side.

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A version of this article appears in print on  , Section D, Page 4 of the New York edition. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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