With neon signs, smoking cocktails and two living walls with thousands of plants, Via in New Haven isn't your nonna's Italian restaurant. The gastrobar, which opened on Crown Street in October, specializes in Italian-influenced street food and small plates — and offers plenty of Instagram material, between its graffitied restroom hallway, drinks with creative garnishes and a risqué accent wall, with the image of a woman swallowing strands of spaghetti.

"Our idea when we came here was to offer that casual dining experience for Italian food," said Kyle Liberman, one of Via's partners. "There are plenty of very nice Italian restaurants in New Haven, where it's white tablecloths, fine dining, dark rooms...