Pic courtesy of Gothamist

Never mind the white space-age tunnel of a dining room: Naya’s food is about as earthy as Lebanese cuisine gets in Manhattan—not that there’s a ton of competition here. Owner Hady Kfoury and chef Rafic Nehme take some chances, serving dishes New Yorkers who haven’t been to Beirut or been cooked for by a Lebanese friend likely won’t have tried, like silky kibbe naye (the Lebanese steak tartare, studded with bulgur and mint and scooped up in pita bread with raw onion and olive oil), or kibbe labniye (lamb dumplings in a warm yogurt sauce). Another welcome, overdue addition (see also Ilili) to the city’s microscopic list of ambitious Middle Eastern restaurants.

Naya. 1057 Second Ave. between 55th and 56th Sts; (212) 319-7777.

Prices/Features: MOD, VGT     (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)

Sasabune. 401 E. 73rd St. between First and Second Aves.; (212) 249-8583.

Prices/Features: MOD, VGT     (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)

Pic courtesy of Accademia di Vino

This polished (if ponderously named) shrine to regional Italian food and wine turns out subtly elegant renditions of classics like spaghetti carbonara, along with a solid selection of salumi and pizzas. The bargain prix-fixe lunch menu might yield an insalata mista of perfectly salted and oil-and-vinegared greens, a simple but deftly done main course like orrechiette cacio e pepe, and a fruit-of-the-day sorbet. Or go for the flight of five crudo, Italy’s answer to sushi, which might include amberjack with pickled lemon and scallops with pine nuts and capers. The generous by-the-glass wine list is an excellent way to taste your way around the 500-bottle, Italian-centric collection.

Accademia di Vino. 1081 Third Ave. between 63rd and 64th Sts.; (212) 888-6333.

Prices/Features: MOD, VGT, DRNK, GRP     (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)

Pic courtesy of Sfoglia

Despite the hundreds (thousands?) of Italian restaurants in the city, Sfoglia, a spinoff of a Nantucket spot, managed to transfix Manhattanites from the moment it hit the way-upper Upper East Side. Amazingly, it’s not overrated. Rustic and slightly unexpected preparations like ricotta gnocchi with rock shrimp, rabe, raisins, and lemon cream seem all the more arresting because they don’t have a celeb-chef name attached. (The talented Ron Suhanosky, ex of Il Buco, runs the kitchen.) The room is warm and gorgeously tasteful too, and there’s virtually nothing annoying about this place (a rare achievement), except that everyone else has figured that out too, and reservations are a pain in the butt—so that can be annoying.

Sfoglia. 1402 Lexington Ave. at 92nd St.; (212) 831-1402.

Prices/Features: MOD, VGT     (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)