Italian restaurants in North America
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A
Bizzarro
With a name like Bizzarro you’d never guess that this Wallingford hotbed is an excellent neighborhood Italian cafe. When you learn that it’s actually someone’s garage crammed with kitschy art and weird antiques, the name makes sense. Deliciously buttery pasta dishes, a good wine list and frequent live music add to the experience.
reviewed
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B
Pagliacci’s
At Pagliacci’s, unlimited baskets of fresh focaccia bread are delivered to the marble-topped tables. Generous pasta servings from the cinema-themed menu almost defy devouring; try the Hemingway Short Story (beef-stuffed tortellini).
reviewed
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C
Pink Door Ristorante
Beloved for its atmosphere at least as much as its food, the Pink Door is an old-school favorite – on a nice evening, stopping for dinner and drinks on the deck overlooking the market is hard to beat. The menu is traditional Italian, and the vegetarian lasagne comes highly recommended.
reviewed
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D
Pascucci
Don't let the sight of tourists deter you from palazzo-style Pascucci. Despite occasionally spotty service, locals love the filling pastas, pizzas and paninis here, not to mention the bargain prices. For a taste of Italian heaven, try the Bellagio: smoked chicken, mushroom, red onions and sun-dried tomatoes in a roasted garlic-parmesan cream sauce over bowtie pasta. Sit at the bar for the quickest service.
reviewed
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E
Conti Caffe
Set on busy Rue St-Louis, the handsome Conti Caffe features an impressive selection of flavorful Italian classics. Start off with prosciutto and melon or the house antipasto, before moving on to penne with gorgonzola, apples and walnuts or the grilled halibut with mango salsa. The dining room is a warmly lit retreat, with exposed brick walls trimmed with art and big windows overlooking the street.
reviewed
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F
Babbo
Celebrity chef Mario Batali has multiple restaurants in Manhattan, but everyone has a sneaking suspicion that this two-level split townhouse is his favorite. Whether you order mint love letters, lamb's brain francobolli (small, stuffed ravioli) or pig's foot milanese, you'll find Batali at the top of his innovative, eclectic game. Reservations are in order.
reviewed
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G
La Lanterna
This smart Italian restaurant has an intimate feel with its low ceilings, dark wood-and- tile decor and shelves lined with fine wines. Businessmen from the nearby Four Seasons Hotel can forge deals over a fiery dish of penne all’arrabbiata (spicy chili and tomato sauce) or get heavy with a fillet of steak with all the trimmings.
reviewed
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H
Il Fornaio
Feast on wood-fired pizzas, salads and pastas, or make a meal of the antipasti platter with scallops wrapped in pancetta, baked eggplant, truffled cheeses and more. Delectable, fresh-baked breakfast goodies such as lemon-pecan scones are also available at ll Fornaio Paneterria, near the hotel lobby.
reviewed
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I
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill
California flair pervades this ultra-contemporary bistro just off the casino floor. The truffled potato chips with blue cheese, skirt steak skewers with celery salad, wood-fired pizzas and ricotta gnocchi with sweet fennel sausage thrill, just like the New World wine list.
reviewed
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J
Pizza Rolandi
Below the Hotel Belmar, between Abasolo and Madero, it bakes very good thin-crust pizzas and calzones in a wood-fired oven. The menu also includes pasta, fresh salads, fish, good coffee and some Italian specialties – definitely don’t come here looking for Mexican.
reviewed
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K
Vittorio’s
For years this cozy Italian restaurant has been serving generous portions of reasonably priced pizza and pasta. Head to the back and you’ll feel like the Godfather in the plush leather booths with dim lighting. Daily specials cost only M$80.
reviewed
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L
Cafe Bernardo
This is a Midtown favorite serving all meals. Stop by for strong coffee or have a full-on meal with pasta, a grilled skirt steak and wine. There's an outdoor seating area and an adjacent martini bar that's popular around happy hour.
reviewed
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M
Pane e Vino
This Italian-run joint serves tasty antipasti and salads (with olive oil and balsamic vinegar if you wish), lasagna, fish, meat and a selection of respectable wines by the glass or bottle.
reviewed
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N
L'Amante
L'Amante serves upscale northern Italian cuisine such as squash- blossom fritters with truffle oil, and swordfish with saffron-encrusted risotto. Perfect for a memorable night out.
reviewed
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O
Trattoria La Siciliana
An Italian hotspot south of campus among the restaurants of the charming Elmwood District.
reviewed
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Los Pelícanos
This friendly eatery is lauded by locals as the best restaurant in town.
reviewed
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P
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Ideale
Expat Italian regulars are stunned that a restaurant this authentic borders the Pacific, with proper bucatini ammatriciana (Roman tube pasta with tomato-pancetta-pecorino sauce), seafood risotto made with superior Canaroli rice, a well-priced selection of Italian wines, and wisecracking Tuscan waitstaff.
reviewed
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R
A Voce
The newest addition to the heavy-hitting lineup of dining options (including the Per Se, the wallet-breaking Masa and the casual Bouchon Bakery) inside this high-rise mall, the light, airy and modern A Voce lets you enjoy sweeping views of Central Park as you sample the high-style, delectable creations of chef Missy Robbins and her capable team. Here, gnocchi gets tossed with zucchini, squash blossoms and mint, while hand-rolled pasta joins brussels sprouts, bacon, Sicilian almonds and whipped sheep’s milk for a creamy, savory rib sticker. Even heartier fare touches on all meats, with veal getting grilled with sunchokes and topped with black-truffles sauce and fish, beef,…
reviewed
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S
Teatro Goldoni
Teatro used to be just that – a sort of crazy clown carnival of very colorful, eye-catching, yet fairly ‘meh’ Italian dining. We loved (and still love) the Commedia del Arte ambience, a refreshing change from the starched-shirt formality so common in Foggy Bottom, but the food wasn’t worth the price. No longer, though. Chef Enzo Fargione has brought discipline and style to the menu without sacrificing the madcap flair that is Goldoni’s signature. Pasta stuffed with sweetbreads and sausage, all sweating a thick walnut sauce, should be too much (it almost is), but Fargione’s kitchen manages to restrain the richness just enough so the flavors don’t muddle. On the other…
reviewed
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Il Bagatto
A bustling yet romantic little nook, this spot has thoroughly delicious Italian creations at exceptionally reasonable prices – plus an excellent wine list and a dedicated sommelier who will pour you tastes before you decide (a wonderful oddity in such an affordable and casual dining room). The frazzled yet warm and quirky owners will greet you like old friends – though be prepared to wait a while even if you’ve made a reservation; that’s just the way it works at this laid-back neighborhood spot. Menu items tend toward the sinful side, with highlights that include cheese and spinach ravioli swimming in butter and sage sauce, homemade gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce, and paper-…
reviewed
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Pasta Mia
Long lines, stiff waitstaff, crowded conditions, perfect pasta. This is the price of good, cheap Italian, friends. But that’s OK. Sip your red, twirl one of 20-some types of flour/semolina/gram perfection and try not to break into operatic praise. It gets crowded inside, so this may not be the best place for romantic candlelight and Chianti, although it is grand for big groups and gregariousness. By the way, we mean it when we say ‘long lines’ – there’s no reservations here, and if you’re coming for dinner on a weekend night, you’ll want to arrive early. If you’re in a big group, they won’t seat you until everyone’s arrived.
reviewed
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A Voce
A Voce lets you sample the high-style, delectable creations of chef Missy Robbins and her capable team. Here, gnocchi gets tossed with zucchini, squash blossoms and mint, while hand-rolled pasta joins brussels sprouts, bacon, Sicilian almonds and whipped sheep’s milk for a creamy, savory rib-sticker. Even heartier fare touches on all meats, with veal getting grilled with sunchokes and topped with black-truffles sauce and fish, beef, pork and lamb treated to market-fresh pairings and sauces, from baby artichokes to anchovy vinaigrette. The dessert menu is large and sinful, and the wine options total an impressive 850, with a focus on the best of Italy.
reviewed
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W
Roberto Restaurant
Just off Arthur Ave (the ‘real’ Little Italy), Roberto has a great reputation; its fans swear, with frightening passion, that it’s New York’s – not just Belmont’s – best Italian restaurant. There’s a no-reservations policy, so as the night wears on, lines congregate by the bar – for hours. It’s well worth it. Ask for the chef’s choice, and Roberto – hilariously festive – comes by and lights up your table with dish after dish of Northern Italian specialties, including swordfish steaks and veal cutlets. In nice weather, sidewalk seating is the way to go.
reviewed
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X
Frankies Spuntino
Away from Smith St’s eating ghetto, Frankies is a neighborhood magnet, with local couples and families lining up for a seat in the brick-wall inside or, when weather’s good, in the back garden. There are main dishes – hearty pasta dishes like the cavetelli with hot sausage or pappardelle with braised lamb – but, as a spuntino, it’s more about the snacking. Go family-style by ordering a mix of vegetable antipasti, salads and small plates of cured meats or from the formaggio menu – featuring a dozen different types of cheese.
reviewed
