Covina
I might have turned around and walked away from Covina. Its entrance off East 27th Street is through a coffee shop. (It’s technically part of the Park South Hotel.)

But past the coffee counter and brashly lit coolers, deserted in the evening, is a welcoming restaurant and bar with a modern tavern mien.

My friend and I sat at the bar and were ably served by an affable bartender with a sense of humor to match his knowledge of the wine and food.

Pizza is the forte here. I was intrigued by the pie the couple sitting next to us were enjoying but turned off when I heard its name — Spicy Honey. But the server assured me it wasn’t sweet, so I took a chance.

It wasn’t sweet. The spicy in the name was more dominant, with spopressata giving a peppery note. The crust, cooked quickly in the wood-burning oven just behind us, was delightfully crisp.

The Bucatini was modest, a simple stack of the slightly thick noodles with guanciale and pecorino tossed with a red sauce and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.

This is definitely a place to come and share a pizza, maybe a side of the wonderfully crispy Brussels sprouts, and to have a glass of wine or a cocktail. I recommend the Boulevardier, a Manhattan for negroni lovers.

Covina is at 127 E. 27th St., New York.