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Founder Tony Merenda named this old-school Italian joint after a losing racehorse when he opened it in the 1930s. Today his sons operate the dark-wood-paneled eatery, where waiters wear red jackets and bow ties, and the crowd runs the gamut from blue-collar workers to jazz seekers filling up before a night at the Lenox Lounge. In addition to turning out classics like tender veal medallions with sautéed plum tomatoes, peppers and garlic cloves, the kitchen experiments with more progressive dishes, including a smoked duck breast drizzled with sweet hoisin sauce.

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