You probably don't know where Ushigome is. Like many areas within Tokyo's Yamanote Line, it is somewhat anonymous — the kind of place where you expect to find nothing of interest and where the local people, as if oblivious to the size of the metropolis around them, shop in tiny old stores. It's the kind of place that seems to relish its anonymity.
It's not the sort of place where you expect to find a decent place to eat either. An old ramen shop perhaps, maybe a yakiniku joint. Almost certainly, you would not expect to find a decent Italian eatery in this part of Shinjuku Ward. There are, in fact, two eateries, both created by their Italian owner, Carmine Cozzolino.
One is named Carmine, a smart, intimate but relaxing Italian restaurant. The other is La Volpaia, a small, casual (you order at the counter), bright slice of Italy that seduces you with its friendliness, pasta, pizza and wine.