Fresco by Scotto

TV types lunch at this family-owned Tuscan-flavored hotspot so often it's been nicknamed the NBC commissary. The dining room is bright and cheerful, and Marion, the family matriarch, circulates among the stars, working the room and keeping a careful eye on the service.

The menu covers the usual bases, but the grilled pizza is justly famous, and the house-made pastas -served in gargantuan portions - are real standouts. Other good bets? The veal chop and the steak. The wine list is predictably good, with Italian choices predominating.

Don't have time for lunch at the restaurant? Fresco to Go, just next door, will pack up a sandwich - or one of the restaurant's signature pizzas - to take out.

See more: Midtown East restaurants, Midtown restaurants, Italian restaurants