If you’ve been paying attention, you know that I’m a fan of Stuzzicheria, so I wasn’t exactly thrilled to learn it would be getting a reboot. Turning to face the change, as it were, I hauled myself over for lunch.

These photos are horrible because my good camera is in the shop. (My dog made me drop it.)

The room looks as if it went antiques shopping while on vacation: There are now rustic wooden tables and chairs, a wooden bench, and a sexy fuchsia booth; freestanding shelves hold amaretti tins, and canned tomatoes, and books such as Home Sausage Making. Flowers abound. The TV is still up by the bar, which is a shame, but the framed photo of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin almost makes up for it. (“I feel sorry for people who don’t drink,” Frank is quoted as saying. “When they wake up in the morning that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.”)

The big question, of course, is how was the food now that Ron Suhanosky (formerly of Sfoglia) is at the helm? There’s no special menu for lunch, so I ordered three stuzzichini: fava beans with ricotta and pine nuts; suppli (fried risotto balls with saffron and peas); and, at the bartender’s suggestion, the scampi in garlic, brown butter, and bread crumbs. The fava beans were fine—but after a similar experience at Craft, I’m beginning to think they work better as an accent. The suppli were delicious, but then fried risotto balls often are. The standout was the scampi—perfectly cooked and full of shrimpy flavor—and, perhaps more so, the butter-drenched crumbs at the bottom of the dish. When the bartender asked how everything was, I believe I said, “Buttery crumbs!” Frankie would understand.

All in all, I’m encouraged: The specifics have changed, but the overall effect—of an unpretentious restaurant serving thoughtful-but-not-fussy Italian food—is intact. The outdoor tables, by the way, should be up in a week or two.