pasta

Nicoletta

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Overview:

Nicoletta is Chef Michael White's no-frills East Village pizzeria. The space is super casual with a brick oven and open kitchen. The menu is mostly Italian classics like big plates of calamari, arancini, stromboli and the standout meatballs. The tasty thick-crust pies are loaded with different combinations of toppings but the best is the calabrese with deep pepperoni cups that curl up and fill with grease (don't front like you don't love that). This place is super affordable with big portions easy to share, making it a good spot for a weekday date or group dinner.

Information:

Address: 160 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Phone:  (212) 432-1600

Neighborhood: East Village

Price: $$-$$$

 

Scampi

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Overview:

Scampi is new Flatiron locale that perfectly marries a chic, grand space with a homey vibe. The dining room has a mix of banquette and communal seating while the front of the restaurant features a large bar with dramatic oak arches and additional cocktail seating. Chef PJ Calapa emphasizes Southern Italian food in a menu of seafood and house made pastas. The style of the dishes can best be described as rustic elegance. From the crudo section, two excellent options are the razor clams with fennel, chive and prosciutto or sardines with raisins, anchovy and pinenuts. The rest of the menu is divided into vegetables, grilled, and pasta options in which the namesake dish arrives with malfadini pasta, shrimp, parsley butter and lemon. Great for a datenight spot, business dinner, or an evening with the parents. 

Information:

Address: 30 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011

Phone:  (212) 888-2171

Neighborhood: Flatiron

Price: $$$

 

Evelina

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Overview:

The team behind Emporio and Aurora have created the centrally located Fort Greene locale, Evelina. The bustling space is designed with deep blue banquettes, rustic wood, a sprawling bar and mosaic tiles. The Mediterranean-Italian menu focuses on seasonal ingredients in pastas and shareable plates, with a number of items prepared on a wood-fired grill. The pasta is notably tasty, like squid ink malloreddus with crab meat, sea urchin & chili or the strangozzi carbonara with porcini mushrooms & shaved Perigord trufflles. The restaurant is particularly great for a casual weeknight dinner or weekend brunch. 

Information:

Address:  211 Dekalb Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Phone: (929) 298-0209

Neighborhood: Fort Greene

https://www.evelinabk.com/

Price: $$-$$$

 

Momofuku Nishi

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Overview:

Since opening in 2015 Momofuku Nishi has received mixed reviews and even briefly closed to revamp their concept recently. The decor in the space is exceptionally minimal, comfortable & sparsely decorated.  Food here is Asian & Italian fusion, heavily leaning on the Italian side. The menu is reasonably priced (by only NY standards) and they have adopted the trend of no tipping. You'll find imaginative starters like fried head on shrimp, Spanish mackerel toast with piquillo pepper & salsa verde, and beef carpaccio alla tonnato. The real star are the pastas, of which you will have lots to choose from, the best being spaghetti alla chitarra with maine uni & calabrian chili. 
A solid dining option that I trust it will only improve. 

Information:

Address:  232 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Phone: (646) 518-1919

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Price: $$$

 

Vic's

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Overview:

Vic's is a go-to for all occasions in Noho from the Five Points team. The vibe is that of a comfortable neighborhood restaurant, just with exceptionally good looking people all around you. You'll find a spacious interior with several distinct dining areas, large tables, a skylight and semi-open kitchen. The menu is mainly Italian and chef Hillary Sterling does both farm-to-table cooking and pizza quite well. The antipasti and mercato sections have an excellent list of vegetables like delicata squash with walnut gremolata, puntarelle with anchovies, and crispy calamari with fennel and pine nuts. Choose from 5 Neapolitan pies or a long list of pastas like cacio e pepe and eggplant ravioli. It's really a restaurant good for many things - an intimate date, group brunch, or dinner with the parents. 

Information:

Address: 31 Great Jones St, New York, NY 10012

Phone: (212) 253-5700

Neighborhood: Noho

Price: $$$

 

Suprema Provisions

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Overview:

Oh man, if this place isn't just the cutest thing that ever happened to me. Suprema Provisions is part restaurant and part gourmet market with imported Italian ingredients, cookbooks and fancy kitchen tools. Grab cheese and cured meats to go from their salumeria or stay and dine in the wine bar. The rustic space is sprawling, encompassing two storefronts with entrances on both Bleecker and 7th Ave. The dine in menu is ample with  small plates and exemplary salumi & cheese boards. Savory dishes include Neapolitan meatballs, uni & crab fettuccine, and braised octopus with olives & polenta. The sleeper on the menu is their unbelievable burger consisting of short rib, brisket, iberico jamon, bacon jam, and black garlic sauce. This is the perfect spot for a date night or a leisurely lunch of charcuterie and wines chosen by sommelier Joshua Wesson.  

Information:

Address:  305 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Phone: (646) 964-4994

Neighborhood: West Village

Price: $$ -$$$

 

Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucina

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Overview:

Giovanni Rana is a full service restaurant located beside Chelsea Market. The interior is a sprawling, rustic dining room with soft lighting and a massive open kitchen. The artisenal Italian menu features a laundry list of antipasti and charcuterie like prosciutto, fried ravioli, and bruschetta. They offer a staggering number of fresh pastas in 15 varieties like squid ink linguine, truffle mushroom girasole, casarecce puttanesca and curry conchiglie. It's basically carb heaven, times ten. The ambiance is perfect for a leisurely romantic dinner or a quick snack of charcuterie and wine while you shop in the area. 

Information:

Address:  75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone:  (212) 370-0975

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Price: $$$

 

Epistrophy

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Overview:

Epistrophy Café is almost too cute to function. Located on a great Nolita block, it optimizes the laid back, unpretentious feel of this slice of neighborhood. The interior is homey and rustic with communal seating and an outdoor patio. The food won't change your life but it is good. They serve breakfast, lunch & dinner daily and have a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, and fresh made pastas. The menu is Italian, specifically from the region of Sardinia. I appreciate that so many healthy options are available, particularly the quinoa salad and grilled calamari.  It is a comfortable setting to work in the afternoon or have a low key date in the evening at their bar.

Information:

Address: 200 Mott St, New York, NY 10012

Phone: (212) 966-0904

Neighborhood: Nolita

Price: $$-$$$

 

Antica Pesa

Overview:

Duck into the space labeled Antica Pesa and you are transported into the type of elegance that rarely exists in an area like Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  The space is sexy and hip with dim lights and high ceilings. The wait staff loves the restaurant and they are thrilled to tell you all the history of the space and the menu. Food here is Italian, with simple presentation and few ingredients or fuss. You'll find homemade desserts, imported cheeses & olive oils, and farm-to-table ingredients. Pasta is the star here- try the cacio e pepe or the schiaffoni all’amatriciana with guanciale, tomato, pecorino. Great for groups or a romantic date. 

Information:

Address: 115 Berry St, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Phone:  (347) 763-2635

Neighborhood: Williamsburg

Website: https://www.anticapesa.com/

Price: $$-$$$

 

Tableside Italian Cook Shoppe  

Overview

Tableside Italian is a new restaurant that recently hit the mean streets of the East Village. The family owned and operated restaurant is cozy and dark with warm service. The food is authentic Italian cuisine but the ingredients and plating is a step up from your average red sauce Italian joint. The menu offers a lot to choose from with surprising starters like tender lamb meatballs and baked clams with bacon.  Portions are large and the absolute best thing is the thick cut, impossibly tender pan roasted pork chop with sweet and mild vinegar peppers. I say this to you as a person who doesn't really like pork chops and generally hates peppers. It's that fantastic. Great little neighborhood spot with elevated comfort food. 

Information:

Address: 345 E 6th St, New York, NY 10003

Phone: (646) 852-6498

Neighborhood: East Village

Website: https://www.tablesideitaliancookshoppe.com/

Price: $$-$$$

 

Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria

Overview

I'll be damned if this isn't one of the cutest restaurants you've ever seen. Split into two sections, the Alimentari grocery section up front is filled with cured meats and Italian bread. Continue through the space and you'll find a dining area which is charmingly rustic with an open kitchen. The room is filled with a mix of romantic dates, business dinners, and girls' nights out. The menu is a relatively upscale version of food you would find in adorable trattorias in Italy. What they do best is meat, cheese, wine, and bread (which is all I really need in life). The pastas are simple with few ingredients, made fresh. It's a convenient neighborhood spot to graze on fried artichokes & grilled octopus with friends or even sit at the bat solo. 

Information

Address:  53 Great Jones St, New York, NY 10012

Phone:   (212) 837-2622

Neighborhood: Noho

Website: https://ilbucovineria.com/

Price: $$$