I’m happy to report that Franklin Café Buon Gusto—which opened on Monday—kept a lot of what made Franklin Café Tavola Calda charming, including the wine-bottle light fixtures. In fact, much of the interior hasn’t been changed at all. But happily, the awkwardness of the room has been minimized by shifting the kitchen toward the back, which also created room for more tables.

As for the food, I can’t say I had huge expectations—the other two locations are on E. 77th St. and Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, two areas hardly known for memorable dining. The menu is huge, another sign that it’s a certain kind of Italian restaurant. I stopped by for lunch just now, and I had the capricciosa pizza—I can’t pass up pizza on any menu—and it was fine. It wasn’t memorable, but (a) the restaurant has only been open for one day, and (b) I’m a pizza snob—I don’t even think Motorino is all that. I had to explain that I was writing an item on the restaurant in order to justify all the photo-taking, so they sent out tiramisu, which was far better than the one my partner made this summer. (Sorry, babe!)

But at these prices—pastas start at $12—who’s complaining? Plus, the people working there were lovely. As always, please share your own opinions/experiences in the comments.

Franklin Café Buon Gusto is at 222 W. Broadway, 212-343-3838 or 3839; caffe-buon.com. It’s open Monday–Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; delivery is available (the minimum to use a credit card is $30).

Recent “First Impression” articles:
• Stuzzicheria
• BLT Bar & Grill
• Il Matto
• Muscle Maker Grill
• Plein Sud