Cost: inexpensive-moderateHours: dinner daily; lunch Friday, Saturday, SundayReservations: advised
Credit cards: all major
Bar: full service
Sound level: noisy when busy
Outside smoking: yes
For kids: boosters, high chairs and kid-friendly preparations on request.
Wheelchair accessible: yes
First impression: Dining at this high energy bistro feels like pure serendipity. What's not to like about an appealing menu mix that leans to Italian

Starters: Impeccable tuna tartar ($13.50) finds equilibrium with Dijon mustard in a tangy mixture meant for spreading on fresh crostini. If the soup du jour is pasta e fagioli, order a bowlful ($4.50) and dive into a lighter than usual version with lots of beans, the right amount of ditalini pasta and aromatic veggies. The kitchen obliges on half orders of pasta as a first course. Try penne alla vodka ($8.49 per half) with al dente pasta, crisp asparagus, huge shrimp and creamy tomato-based sauce.

Entree excellence: Consider your money well spent on entrees ($14.95-$24.50) that include house or Caesar salad, fresh veggies and potato. Just $10.50 buys a 12-inch pizza, while specials such as a 14-ounce veal chop top out at $32.50. Chilean sea bass ($24.95) is gilded with a light crusty top while the richness of the oven- finished filet lasts to the final forkful. Chicken marsala ($17.50) is velvety tender. Steak pizzaiola ($21.95) delivers a New York strip with caper-dotted pizzaiola sauce that enhances rather than masks the good grill flavors of perfectly cooked steak. The pizzas are thin-crusted New York style and fresh tasting, as in a Bistro 555 Special ($13.95) with tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto and fluffs of fresh arugula tossed on after baking.

Service: There's nothing like a well-run restaurant with hands-on owners, an earnest desire to please and trained staff who go the extra mile when it comes to congeniality and professionalism.

Sweet!: Lush espresso-scented tiramisu layered with decadent mascarpone ($5.95) is the only dessert prepared in-house, with other selections provided by a high-end dessert company. Any of them will send you off smiling.

Liquid assets: A selection of pricey reserve wines add interest to a well-crafted moderately priced wine list with the added plus of a handful of dessert wines. Or, satisfy your thirst for liquid libations with a well-made martini from the bar.

— Judith Stocks