Scalinatella

Those who remember the jolly Irish pub below street level at Madison Avenue and 61st Street would be astonished to see its cool transformation into -- what else? -- a northern Italian restaurant. Scalinatella, a name that is about as tricky as trying to whistle with a mouthful of linguine, is the creation of three former waiters at Vico and Sette Mezzo, both on the Upper East Side of Manhattan: Luigi Russo, Marco Pipolo and Alfio Ruocco. The name means little staircase, like the one leading down to the dining room. Scalinatella's chef, Errico Girraldo, worked at La Camelia before it closed.

The crisp white dining room has a shiny marble floor, stone walls and high-backed designer chairs. The major drawback at a recent lunch was the staff's phlegmatic pace, which dragged out lunch to nearly two hours. But much of the food merits another try.

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