2004 – Raw-silk curtains the color of a Tuscan sunset and tiny candles make this narrow trattoria a sexy spot. But you may lack the energy to act on amorous impulses once you’ve stuffed yourself with Grano’s filling, irresistible pasta (made by chef-owner Maurizio Crescenzo). Beet gnocchi with a thick, cheesy sauce of Gorgonzola, walnuts and pancetta, is a blend of complementary flavors. Crescenzo’s talent for mixing textures and tastes is again put to good use in salads such as insalata fantasia, an eye-catching mix of radicchio, red onion, toasted almonds and chunks of smoked trout.

The healthy portion of balsamic-braised lamb shank is fall-off-the-bone good. Single-size pizzas straight from Grano’s brick oven are also stellar (five varieties on the menu, plus a special or two each night). Finish with intensely fruity pear sorbet, or the warm, semisweet chocolate polenta—slightly crisp on the outside and soft as a cotton ball inside.

2005 Eating & Drinking Guide – The staffers at this sexy, sunset-hued little trattoria welcome you as if they've been expecting you all night, ushering you into a comfortable space divided by a small bar. The more intimate front section looks out onto cobblestoned streets and a church garden, while the brighter, livlier back half lets you view the open kitchen. An Autunalle salad is topped with goat cheese and apricots; spiral pasta, house-made by chef Maurizio Crescenzo, is paired with wild-boar sausage and mushrooms. Wood-oven-roasted lamb with Parmesan potatoes and garlic sauce typifies Grano's rustic cuisine. Request two spooons for the chocolate polenta with vanilla sauce.

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