Like the awning, the lettering on the window evoked the Italian tricolor; that last item, in green, suggested a late afternoon snack.
5:45 is nigh on closing time for the fellow who (by all accounts) has been manning the shop for ages, and I wasn't about to request a pizza made just for me. Even the airy fried doughballs called zeppole (six for $1, and less in focus than the sign) are reheated at that hour, but swamped in confectioner's sugar, they're still pretty good. I'll have to try them again (and get a clearer photo of the zeppole themselves) earlier in the day, after a slice or two.
Il Fornaio Pizzeria
1505 Lexington Ave. (97th-98th Sts.)
212-876-0683
