Best Italian in NYC?

[N13]

Hoping to get to a really nice Italian restaurant in NYC, anyone have any recommendations? I'm going to hit The Village tonight to find food and entertainment. Tomorrow I'm off to the East Village to go visit Enchantment Inc!

 

Open to all suggestions. Also looking for some really good french onion soup & BLACK BEAN SOUP!

 

Da Umberto on West 17th St. between 6th and 7th Avenue - Without question top quality

[Bearofdistinction]

Hoping to get to a really nice Italian restaurant in NYC, anyone have any recommendations? I'm going to hit The Village tonight to find food and entertainment. Tomorrow I'm off to the East Village to go visit Enchantment Inc!

 

Open to all suggestions. Also looking for some really good french onion soup & BLACK BEAN SOUP![/quote

 

 

Somebody Help me here --- there is a wonderfully campy and great Italian Family restaurant on or just off Mott Street

 

where they seat you at long picnic-like tables and serve family style - with Grandpa on the keyboards wandering thru t

 

he dining room and singing old Italian songs and arias.

 

They serve carafes of Homemade Red wine with dinner whether you want them or not

 

Place has been there for Eons -- Menu is the three things that Nona has decided to cook that day!

[BaronArtz]

The name doesn't sound like much, but hands down the BEST in NYC - Lincoln

 

https://www.patinagroup.com/lincoln-ristorante

 

Beats Marea anytime. Simply the BEST pasta in NY. Great prix fixe menus, a rotation of regional Italian cuisines and an amazing wine list by the glass! I am a huge fan.

[pubic_assistance]

The name doesn't sound like much, but hands down the BEST in NYC - Lincoln

 

https://www.patinagroup.com/lincoln-ristorante

 

Beats Marea anytime. Simply the BEST pasta in NY. Great prix fixe menus, a rotation of regional Italian cuisines and an amazing wine list by the glass! I am a huge fan.

Thanks for that info. I would have never considered going in there. Will have to check it out.

[+ nycman]

Lidia Bastianich has been my inspiration for much of my own cooking, but I have to say her Restaurant in the Theatre district was disappointing in it's generic quality.

 

You should try her other NYC restaurant:

 

FELIDIA

243 EAST 58TH STREET,

NEW YORK, NY 10022

(212) 758.1479

 

It's MUCH better. Not amazing...but very very good.

I had no idea it was HER restaurant the first time I ate there...

I almost passed out when she greeted me warmly at the front door.....

No joke....I thought I was on candid camera!

 

The name doesn't sound like much, but hands down the BEST in NYC - Lincoln

 

https://www.patinagroup.com/lincoln-ristorante

 

I agree 100%. I honestly believe this is one of NYC's hidden gems.

If ANYTHING that big can be "hidden" in Lincoln Center that is.

Dinner here after the Opera almost makes going to the Opera an enjoyable evening....almost.

[whipped guy]

This whole thread reminds me of the time that former poster NYTomcat told me that when a group of forum members got together a number of years ago for Italian they selected the Olive Garden in Times Square. Well they do have never ending breadsticks and salad..... well, it's been a while, but the Shrimp Primavera ain't bad as long as you order it with capellini instead of the pene pasta that it normally comes with. Any Italian knows that pene does not mesh well with a seafood dish!

[+ nycman]

This whole thread reminds me of the time....

 

Ahhhh....the LEGENDARY.....NYC Meet Up thread.....trainwreck!

 

I'm still PISSED that there's something DC does better than NYC....grin

[whipped guy]

Ahhhh....the LEGENDARY.....NYC Meet Up thread.....trainwreck!

 

I'm still PISSED that there's something DC does better than NYC....grin

Well I really don't think that DC did it better... in the past yes, but not this year. At least the NYC event was toast before it even got off the ground as opposed to how the DC event was scuttled and sank at the last moment... even though there were good intentions involved.

 

Regarding NYC, too many hands got into the soup where someone should have just picked a date, time, and venue and then let the chips fall.... those who could attend would and those who could not would not. Simple!! Not everyone would be satisfied, but that would be better than what actuallly occurred. Perhaps something later this year if anyone dares to try again that is!!!!!

[+ Italiano]

Authentic Italian with VERY reasonable prices?

 

Trattoria da Marcella, in the W Village/Soho border.

 

Listen to an Italian born and raised.

 

http://www.damarcella.com

[Bearofdistinction]

I was just investigating this ! Tryna find a like-minded stomach like mine to help me LOL

 

Have not been to Carmine's in NYC - But the owner has one in Atlantic City that is amazing!

 

And just as an aside - Philly has some pretty amazing Italian Restaurants itself. From 4th generation family owned traditional Italian to Nouvelle Cuisine and Nouvelle Fusion.

 

Chefs can afford to be adventurous here where rents are still manageable - liquor licenses are not a must the day you open. Philly has great BYOBs, some of which later get liquor and continue as hybrids -- Some BYOB nights - and other full liquor/wine purchase nights in house.

[whipped guy]

Have not been to Carmine's in NYC - But the owner has one in Atlantic City that is amazing!

Heck I have a good rapport with a bartender in NYC who knows everything there is to know about the NYC restaurant scene... from the best local deli's to Le Bernardin which is currently one of the hottest high end establishments in the City. Plus she has experienced the whole gamut of possibilities as well. According to her for what it is, what one gets, and for the right situation there is absolutely nothing wrong with Carmine's even though it might be considered a tourist trap. Tourist traps should all be so bad!

[LookingAround]

Heck I have a good rapport with a bartender in NYC who knows everything there is to know about the NYC restaurant scene... from the best local deli's to Le Bergantine which is currently one of the hottest high end establishments in the City. Plus she has experienced the whole gamut of possibilities as well. According to her for what it is, what one gets, and for the right situation there is absolutely nothing wrong with Carmine's even though it might be considered a tourist trap. Tourist traps should all be so bad!

 

I live in NYC and frequent a lot of restaurants mostly high end. Never heard of a "la bergantine" and google shows nothing either.

[+ Kufrol]

Check out:

 

http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/trattoria-pesce-pasta/

 

Great food!

[whipped guy]

I live in NYC and frequent a lot of restaurants mostly high end. Never heard of a "la bergantine" and google shows nothing either.

 

 

Well normally I don't respond to those who comment on typos etc, but my dual Italian/English spell checker most likely chimed in and changed Le Bernardin to Le Bergantine even though there is no such word in either language as far as I know. It does happen on occasion and the results can be quite hysterical at times and with my dyslexia I did not notice. (Just ask @TruHart1 about that! LOL!). With any luck I did not drive you crazy for the past hour or so.

 

I corrected my post so as not to drive anyone else crazy. However, I stand by my other comments in the post. There is a time and a place for Carmine's.

[+ poolboy48220]

However, I stand by my other comments in the post. There is a time and a place for Carmine's.

True. There's a local chain, Salvatore Scallopini's, just a handful of locations in Michigan. It's sit down, neither fancy nor expensive, doesn't attract a fancy clientele, but they have a decent wine list and their food is good. A daily special of "pick your pasta shape & sauce", with an oil and garlic sauce, is a favorite.

[whipped guy]

True. There's a local chain, Salvatore Scallopini's, just a handful of locations in Michigan. It's sit down, neither fancy nor expensive, doesn't attract a fancy clientele, but they have a decent wine list and their food is good. A daily special of "pick your pasta shape & sauce", with an oil and garlic sauce, is a favorite.

That's what is so great about Italian food... The simplicity of it all! Who would think that aglia, olio, and pasta, just three main ingredients with some seasoning could make an entire dish! Yet, all the ingredients are so exposed in most Italian dishes that one needs to use the finest herbs, the finest seasoning, the best tomatoes, and definitely the best quality of olive oil... as was discussed recently in a different thread! Viva Italia!

[pubic_assistance]

Check out:

 

http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/trattoria-pesce-pasta/

 

Great food!

INDEED ! Pesce Pasta is MY standard once a week Italian joint. However - I rarely recommend it to tourists, because it's so simple and casual, tourists aren't necessarily "impressed".

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Barbetta

321 W 46th, NYC.

Northern Italian.

[corymonroe]

I suspect Kevin has already eaten.

 

Most New Yorkers who know how to cook make the best Italian meals in their own home. Had I known Kevin was here, I would have invited him to my place. I made il ragù di carne di maiale last night. With high quality, fresh ingredients, Italian cooking is among the easiest. Spending a lot of money on Italian food in a restaurant seems a waste to me. Basically, in NYC, you're paying someone's rent. Italian cooking isn't that complicated, and there's no serious reason why it should be expensive.

 

Carmine's has always been known as a place where college students take their families when they visit. I haven't been there in decades, but I suspect it's slightly better than Olive Garden.

 

Unless an escort is being treated, I don't quite get the purpose of recommending restaurants that are ridiculously overpriced. I rarely spend more than $100 on a meal when dining out, especially if I'm eating alone. So few meals in NYC are worth that expense.

[MikeBiDude]

That's what is so great about Italian food... The simplicity of it all! Who would think that aglia, olio, and pasta, just three main ingredients with some seasoning could make an entire dish! Yet, all the ingredients are so exposed in most Italian dishes that one needs to use the finest herbs, the finest seasoning, the best tomatoes, and definitely the best quality of olive oil... as was discussed recently in a different thread! Viva Italia!

I'm making a bracciole for my (small) super bowl dinner party, with gnocchi I'm working on the potatoes now.

[pubic_assistance]

"Italian food" is more than pasta and sauce. I cook at home, but there are certainly many dishes worth sampling that I wouldn't have the skill to make myself. It's somewhat rare to FIND a restaurant in NYC where you DON'T spend $ 100 on dinner ( assuming you drink wine).

[whipped guy]

Responding to the past few posts in a nutshell... Given its basically simple ingredients as @MikeBiDude and @corymonroe mention its always best to cook Italian at home! However, I was never good at making potato gnocchi so kudos to MikeBiDude!

 

I also agree with avoiding the ridiculously over priced venues for an Italian meal. However, as @pubic_assistance notes at times one does come across that more complicated dish with either exotic ingredients or techniques that require a master chef that are impractical to make at home. When I do frequent such establishments I notice two things that are on the menu... first the easy to make Italian favorites that are beyond ridiculously over priced... and second dishes that are seemingly exotic in nature that are really not only quite easy to prepare, but are have inexpensive if not mainstream ingredients. When my dad was still alive he would always laugh when we went to an Italian restaurant and saw gli americani eating so-called fancy appiitizers and other dishes that were considered "depression food" in his day!!!!!!!

[+ Kufrol]

INDEED ! Pesce Pasta is MY standard once a week Italian joint. However - I rarely recommend it to tourists, because it's so simple and casual, tourists aren't necessarily "impressed".

A NYC native of Italian descent recommended it to me years ago; I guess I never thought about the touristy element; I just like the food! It's also, as I recall, within walking distance of Stonewall.

[pubic_assistance]

A NYC native of Italian descent recommended it to me years ago; I guess I never thought about the touristy element; I just like the food! It's also, as I recall, within walking distance of Stonewall.

The food and service are perfect as a neighborhood joint....but it's a dumpy little "hole in the wall"....so not the usual "experience" that most tourists are looking for on their visit to NYC. There are several very nice little local spots downtown, that cater more to the locals, than the day trippers. This is one of them. Danny deVito and his kids are regulars, if you truly require a "celebrity sighting". ha.

[LookingAround]

Well normally I don't respond to those who comment on typos etc, but my dual Italian/English spell checker most likely chimed in and changed Le Bernardin to Le Bergantine even though there is no such word in either language as far as I know. It does happen on occasion and the results can be quite hysterical at times and with my dyslexia I did not notice. (Just ask @TruHart1 about that! LOL!). With any luck I did not drive you crazy for the past hour or so.

 

I corrected my post so as not to drive anyone else crazy. However, I stand by my other comments in the post. There is a time and a place for Carmine's.

 

But there's nothing Italian about Le Bernardin. ??