Bigoli Ristorante & Bar (CLOSED)

Las Vegas import Alessandro Stratta, a contestant on Top Chef Masters season three, stakes his claim in the West Village with this Italian eatery. A wood-fired oven is the focal point of the 84-seat restaurant, which also features birch-wood tables, a marble bar and exposed brick. Dig into hearty fare, like 24-hour duck confit, red-wine–braised oxtail and orata (a rich, meaty fish) with a brown-butter-and-lemon sauce.