Cat food brand Fancy Feast is expanding into feline-inspired human cuisine, with a New York City Italian restaurant designed to celebrate the company’s new line.

It’s fun to get dressed up, go to a fancy restaurant, and await the pièce de résistance: a slice of cake with a glowing candle on top and, maybe, some singing. A flute of Champagne works, too.

In the early 1900s, the building at 2505-2507 Carondelet St. was the home of J. Disimone's Restaurant, which also was a saloon, owned by Felix J. Disimone. The restaurant advertised dinners for 75 ...