Even the chainphobic can’t argue with the simple, satisfying Italian food served at the no-frills Pepe restaurants. The tiny brick-walled dining room is crowded with simple wooden tables and bargain-hunting diners. Try anything with the homemade tomato sauce, like creamy penne vodka or the eggplant Parmesan, buried under piles of melted buffalo mozzarella. At lunchtime, you can get soup or salad with a plate of pasta
or a panino for under ten bucks.