There was something oddly familiar about Macosa Trattoria when I wandered in with a couple of friends on a recent evening. We headed straight for the backyard, which was rustic, with a slatted wooden fence rising on three sides, the tables slightly rickety and pleasantly scattered.

Lights in surrounding apartment windows twinkled on as the evening progressed, and the air filled with the sound of chirping crickets. Offered in the classic Italian three-course progression (antipasti, primi, and secondi), the menu was as sparse as the decor, running to only 14 dishes with a wine list scrawled on a brown paper sack. Where had I seen that before?