Marc Forgione

Chef Marc Forgione’s eponymous restaurant is as busy and as vibrant as ever, packed with an endless stream of downtown denizens who’ve been coming here since doors opened in 2008. Forgione’s impressive tenure is a testament to his consistency and to his bold style that takes inspiration from all over, like the crispy sushi rice draped in Hamachi or wild nettle lumache paired with escargot and guanciale. Dining with a group? The Snowdance Farms chicken under a brick will dwarf the entire table and is comfort cooking at its finest. All the while, flickering candles produce more atmosphere than light for a room clad in exposed brick and salvaged wood. Veteran servers dressed in black take their cues and seem to disappear into the background.