Mezzaluna Restaurants

Italian pop music and an international crowd make this an spot to stop, albeit a small and crowded one. Roughly 75 paintings by Milanese artists adorn the walls, and the bar and tabletops are of pink marble. Pastas are prime, such as the ravioli or lasagne of the day, and trenette with clams and olives Sardinian-style. Brick-oven pizzas, served between 12 p.m. -3 p.m. and 8 p.m. -1 a.m., are...

Despite the "tiniest" of dimensions, this 30-year-old UES Italian "staple" boasts a "strong" track record, "swiftly" sending out wood-oven pizzas ("the highlight") and other "soulful" standards in "crowded" digs; its Village sibling supplies a similar menu geared toward takeout.

Mezzaluna's patrons have been showing up for brick-oven pizzas and reasonably priced pastas since the mid-eighties. Favorites on the seasonal menu include taglierini with cherry tomatoes and orecchiette carbonara. Heartier dishes run to a chicken paillard with fresh herbs, balsamic vinegar and grilled vegetables. Among the pizzas, the standouts include the selvatica: pesto, pine nuts, tomato...

Look up for the soothing, baby-blue, cloud-flecked firmament, down for serene terracotta floors and pink Italian marble. On the walls are (count 'em!) 77 different paintings of the mezzaluna (that would be a half moon-shaped blade). Look to your plate for crisp wood-oven pizzas and famous tiramisu. Has its own cookbook and is big with UES families and yuppies alike. Can't even be snarky about...

There's a reason for the standing room only crowds that gather under the cloud painted ceiling murals of Mezzaluna: ...