Vice Versa

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Next to the checkerboard tattiness of the neighboring bistros, the clean, modern lines of ViceVersa are so unprepossessing it's easy to walk right by its storefront. Do so, and you'll be missing out on one of the most congenial and gratifying restaurants in the theater district, as well as one that's become a whispered neighborhood favorite. Like a hit play that opened with little fanfare, Vice Versa is full of diverting surprises, not least of which is its signature dish: casoncelli alla bergamasca-little ravioli stuffed with veal, raisins, and amaretto cookies, served with sage butter and pancetta. It's a mouthful, all right. In fact, a particularly and unexpectedly tasty one. But one that shouldn't keep you from the "strangled priest" pasta or the lobster salad with balsamic vinegar and thyme. Sound a bit unfamiliar? Hmmm. Do you only go to the theater to see revivals? — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Casoncelli alla bergamasca, $24