Tables on the busy sidewalk don't exactly call attention to Tasca's pale blue facade; it seems every establishment on the clogged stretch of street has them. But the candlelit interior is charming, even if there's not a single soul sitting at the wood bar dominating the small space.

For a time, Tasca subsisted on a bring-your-own-bottle charm; now that the licquor license has gone through, the wine list means a corkage fee of $15 for bottles brought from home. Most of the small plates are around $10 each and consist of options like charcuterie, cheese, risotto fritters filled with fontina cheese, tuna tartare with black truffle and taro-root chips, and black sausage with sauteed apple and onion. Those who never learned to share in kindergarten can order steak frites, risotto milanese with bone marrow, or (why not?) a burger. The satisfactory food is low on pretense, and so are the 3rd Street groupies and low-key lovebirds frequenting the place. —Lonny Pugh