Osso Buco, New York

In the colorful, clean geometry of Osso Buco's multilevel dining room, restaurateur Nino Selimaj takes a back-to-basics approach to cuisine that results in a bevy of no-frills, amply portioned Italian dishes. The menu caters to virtually any taste with entrees that range from a flaky, herb-marinated grilled salmon to hearty sirloin steaks which, like a voice actor’s answering-machine message, come in three distinctive styles. In a rave review, New York magazine's Kate Appleton praised both the unpretentious atmosphere and the top-tier food, particularly the restaurant's namesake dish, a sumptuous shank of veal slow braised to a buttery tenderness.