Scarpetta

Chef Scott Conant’s pastas, like plump duck-and–foie gras ravioli slicked with a rich marsala-duck jus, are as ethereal as ever at this cavernous middlebrow trattoria. But his tendency toward upscale creations shows when he tries for rustic dishes—a leathery shredded goat dish, for example—with inconsistent results. While he struggles to find a middle ground, pastry chef Gary Minos nails it. His apple “pie” features caramelized apples, brown-sugar streusel and a layer of apricot puree on an earthy polenta crust.