Luminosa

On the ground floor of The Flat Iron hotel is a bustling Italian restaurant that will pull you in right off Battery Park Avenue, reservation or not; the buzzy energy and ample seating make it the perfect place to stop at the hostess stand and ask if there’s any chance of a table. And then, you feast.

Start with a bianco spritz with bergamot or the Luminosa negroni, but plan on following with a glass wine from the all-Italian by-the-glass menu; the Tommasi Valpolicello Classico Superiore, with its vegetal, savory olive flavor, is a perfect accompaniment to just about any dish.

There’s no end to chef creativity with fresh produce from executive chef Graham House and chef de cuisine Sean McMullen, who are marrying modern Appalachian ingredients and influences with classic Italian dishes, all enhanced by a wood-fired oven. Preparations play with whatever local produce is in season, from a medley of Atlantis melon, corn, and Aleppo pepper with mint to a peach focaccia panzanella with strawberry vinegar, yogurt, and dill. The bone marrow tater tots are a staple on the antipasti menu that shouldn’t be missed, as is the beef carpaccio with smoked trout tonnato, capers, and seasonal roots (think fennel or kohlrabi).

Among the primi (pasta), piatti (proteins), and pizza, options range from lighter to heartier fare depending on how much room you’ve saved. The lemon pizza with smoked mozzarella is a surprising and delicious riff on a white pizza; depending on the season you might find a pizza with delicata squash, kale, taleggio, cherry bomb peppers, and za’atar, or one with peach, mortadella, pickled red onion, and pistachio. Pasta also makes use of produce in creative ways, such as anolini (a circular stuffed pasta reminiscent of ravioli) with sweet corn and blackberries. And this is one place you’ll want to order the risotto, with combos like eggplant, tomato, spinach, and pine nuts. Proteins are classic but never boring, with several cuts of steak, a bone-in pork chop, a half chicken, and North Carolina rainbow trout from Sunburst Trout Farms, with sprinkled accompaniments like Habananda jelly, salsa verde, or bone marrow bordelaise.

If you’re into vegetable plates, the contorni could be a meal in themselves, with offerings like cheesy Taleggio polenta, charred brassicas with Castelvetrano vinaigrette, okra with smoked chili, tomato braised romano beans, and coal roasted new potatoes.

For dessert, one of the seasonal soft serve flavors is perfect after a big meal, but if you’ve somehow managed to save room, chocolate semifreddo or seasonal panna cotta will have you making your next reservation on the way out the door.