“Come on and take it! Take another little bite off my plate now, baby.” Whoa, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. It’s just that De Santos, in a classic town house on West 10th, is so Village—so very Village—you’d almost expect the ghost of legendary rock stars, like Janis Joplin maybe, to be haunting the place. Come prepared to fall in love with a romantic vision of bygone New York. But don’t linger too long in the past, because De Santos is also contemporary, with a long bar packed with members of the skinny-jeans set. That goes for the food, too. Here’s an Italian menu where a classic like basil-crusted swordfish gets paired with zesty Cajun corn, and grilled mozzarella acquires its salty kick not from standard-issue prosciutto but from speck, a staple of Italy’s Trentino–Alto Adige region high in the almost-in-Austria Alps. There’s also a killer house-made whole-wheat pappardelle with a traditional bolognese sauce and shaved ricotta salata, plus a stellar beet salad, brimming with hearts of palm, avocado and artichokes. If you think we’re kidding about how Village this place is, proceed directly to “Chew on This” for the whole story.

Grilled smoked mozzarella and Alto Adige speck
Pappardelle with boar ragout
Truffle-oil-marinated buffalo carpaccio with potato gnocchi
Red and gold beet salad, roasted corn, goat cheese
Basil-crusted swordfish with Cajun corn
view full menu here

All seats are pretty much the same. But would it be cruel to mention at this time of the year that the back garden is one of the loveliest places for outdoor dining in New York? (Oh, cheer up. Spring is just around the corner.)

The building that houses De Santos dates from 1845. And—yes—Janis Joplin really did live here for a while. The Ramones and Bob Dylan popped in to visit, and legendary playwright Edward Albee is said to have found his inspiration for the title of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? from graffiti in the bathroom of one of the earlier bar tenants.

Sun.–Thurs. 6 PM–11 PM; Fri.–Sat. 6 PM–12 midnight
happy hour: Mon.–Tues. 5:30 PM–8:30 PM;
Wed.–Sun. 5:30 PM–8 PM
Monday night jam: 7 PM–10 PM with Trio Beso

$14 (tagliatelle with tomato sauce) to $27 (grilled filet mignon)