Nyood

 

Although the once-stunning room is starting to show signs of wear (dog-eared menus, peeling wallpaper), and the scene has become increasingly clubby (with ear-pounding house music and posey 20-somethings), the staff is still charmingly friendly and the food, with a few exceptions, is consistently good. The Sicilian eggplant coyly plays on bruschetta, but the deep-fried baby eggplant is too oily and overpowers the diminutive topping of buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomato and crispy sautéed mushrooms. A seared strip loin bursts with umami. Desserts excel: flaky, honeyed baklava and warm plum-pear crumble that tastes like Grandma’s.