When you walk into Caruso’s Grocery, it feels like you’ve been there before – and that’s the point. The standalone restaurant at The Roost food hall on Capitol Hill is modeled after classic red sauce Italian joints, replete with red banquettes, black-and-white pictures of Italian icons hanging on the walls, and Sinatra pumping on the sound system. With 65 seats inside and another 20 on the patio, it feels cozy, comforting, and welcoming.

The idea for Caruso’s Grocery was born out of Neighborhood Restaurant Group owner Michael Babin’s pining for a red sauce joint, like the ones he frequented as a kid, and an emulation of his family’s own Italian market in Louisiana, which lent its name to this new venture.