Settebello

Joshua Bernstein

Citysearch

The Scene
In this sleek Alphabet City eatery named after the chefs' daughter, cacti and candles top the white tables, while a dated pop soundtrack (hello, Lenny Kravitz) is kept low to enable couples' conversations. Additional eye candy comes in the form of a colorful chandelier and walls adorned with Spanish and Italian words.

The Food
Husband-and-wife duo Maristella Innocenti and Esteban Molina meld Tuscan and Mexican cookery to intriguing, yet middling results. The fritto misto is a mound of lightly fried chayote, poblanos and oceanic delights, served aside piquant chipotle and pineapple-jalapeno dips, while the nachos tartufati take this football snack to transcendent heights with huitlacoche and black-truffle olive oil. Entrees mostly disappoint, like the herb-heavy filet mignon and the fishy roasted salmon lacking the promised tequila and fennel flavors. Salvation, though, arrives with superb desserts like house-made organic gelati and sorbetti and, if available, still-warm churros drizzled with savory chocolate.

Hits: Entree-size appetizers are the menu's all-stars.

Misses: The cooks can go hog wild with spices, overpowering otherwise succulent cuts of meat.