Photo: Industrym.com
You know when the craving comes along and nothing else will hit the spot like red sauce Italian food. Patrizia’s is where I would go to satisfy that hunger. This type of food tastes like childhood to me. I grew up in Pittsburgh and there weren’t a ton of diverse culinary options. One thing that was readily available was good, solid Italian food. New York is of course no different.
Patrizia’s has multiple locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The menus are similar but I prefer the Brooklyn location for the ambiance. The inside of the space is an expansive Italian trattoria with brick walls, red table clothes, and a wood burning oven. Outside there is a large patio with gorgeous views of Manhattan and the Williamsburg Bridge. The staff is exceptionally kind and makes you feel like family.
On the menu you will find great interpretations of Neapolitan cuisine. Most dishes are large and made for sharing. You start with antipasti of roasted vegetables, fresh mozzarella, and baked clams. They will bring you sweet and salty prosciutto, shaved paper thin. Don’t skip the huge fried calamari with cherry peppers. For both pizza and pasta, the options are nearly endless as they should be. The Margherita pizza, straight out of the wood burning oven was hot & glossy with a perfectly chewy crust. If you still have room, I recommend the juicy grilled lamb chops. I can’t wait to return. Here’s what we had:
Mozzarella di bufala alla scapece - buffalo mozzarella with marinated zucchini & tomatoes
Shaved Proscuitto
Grilled shrimp
Grilled baby polpo alla fuorigrotta - grilled baby octopus
Vongole alla positano - mediterranean clams with garlic and olive oil
Eggplant Parmesan
Calamari toscana - fried calamari in a cherry peppers spicy sauce
Seafood Misto- lobster, clams, mussels
Pizza Margherita - tomatoes, mozzarella and basil
Spaghetti all’ amatriciana - pancetta and onions in a marinara sauce
Fioretti alla boscaiola - stuffed pasta in a mushroom, prosciutto cream sauce
Grilled lamb
Dessert platter
