Abboccato, 138 W 55th St, Midtown West, New York

When he sends out authentic Greek food at Molyvos, executive chef Jim Botsacos is only telling half the story: his father’s. Now, as chef-partner at Abboccato (“touch of sweetness”), he pays tribute to his Italian mother. Each dish is associated with a region of Italy, such as Umbrian-style quail and octopus with Sicilian oregano. To make his carbonara taste like the real thing, Botsacos uses richer, more flavorful duck eggs. His vaniglia e cioccolato, meanwhile, combines two classic dishes: vanilla-scented veal cheeks and wild boar stewed in red wine, spices and chocolate. It’s dinner and dessert rolled into one.