Emporio

Emporio isn’t the buzziest Italian restaurant downtown—but if you know about this place, you’re probably a fan. The space on Mott Street is surprisingly large, with a big open area in the back that has a couple of skylights and a bunch of black-and-white photos, and you can probably get a table there tonight. Nolita restaurants generally aren’t easy to get into, so you might assume that the food here isn’t great—but everything from the steak to the cacio e pepe is quite pleasant. The thin-crust pizza should be your focus, however. Get the one with sausage, honey, and ribbons of shaved pecorino.