New York City: Pietra Santa (May 1997)

My spouse and I ate lunch at Pietra Santa in May 1997. Slightly west of the main Broadway fray, this cozy Italian spot attracts a mix of locals and theater-goers. The menu highlights respectable renditions of classics with an emphasis on northern cuisine. Pastas for spaghetti carbonara, capellini primavera, and penne with vodka sauce are house-made; a few simple pizzas have pleasingly thin crusts. Standards like New York strip steak, chicken cacciatore, and veal scallopini taste as they should. With dim lighting and creamy, off-white walls, the atmosphere is pleasant and encourages dawdling over a post-dinner glass of wine, while floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides allow for people-watching along Ninth Avenue.