Notaro

Location isn’t everything. This part of Second Avenue is hardly a destination, but Notaro’s prices make it worth a visit. For about $10 at lunch and $20 at dinner, you can order a three-course prix-fixe meal. The food is solid, if not sparkling, so stick to classics: rolled eggplant stuffed with ricotta, Parmesan and homemade mozzarella, then a garlicky penne arrabbiata or veal scaloppine sautéed in a woodsy sauce of artichokes, mushrooms and sherry. Owner Angelo Peralta welcomes each guest, many by name and with kisses. The waiters circle with cheese, pepper and a bit of neighborhood gossip. Which, in a joint like Notaro, is what really matters.