Olivia New York, New York

At Olivia, diners surround themselves with the diverse Mediterranean influences that color coastal Italian cuisine. The lunch menu dresses casual dishes in gourmet ingredients to form pizzas topped with brie and fresh raspberries and club sandwiches stuffed with smoked salmon. At dinner, a diverse selection of appetizers—from imported buffalo mozzarella to ruby-red-tuna tartare—precedes a lineup of steaks, pasta, and other Italian-inspired entrees, including grilled pork chops adorned with cherry peppers and broccoli rabe and pockets of gnocchi filled with pesto and brie. On the weekends, diners sip mimosas as they peruse a brunch menu with raisin-studded french toast and fontina-cheese omelets, and on Wednesday through Saturday evenings, a live piano player fills the air with melodies and the tomato sauce with oregano leaves shaped like eighth notes.