Tuscan Fries
When someone asks me where they can get good fries, Beppe’s Tuscan fries are at the top of my list....
Double Sesame Panna Cotta
I love panna cotta — and all other cream-based desserts for that matter — and I love sesame, so Num...
Caprino Pizza
The Caprino pizza at San Marzano is remarkably flavorful and well balanced. Topped with Fontina, goat cheese, caramelized onions, shiitake...
Chestnut Millecrepe
Chestnut is the perfect wintry dessert ingredient, and Basta Pasta hits it home with their seasonal millecrepe — chestnut —...
Cicchetti (Venetian Appetizer Sampler)
According to New York Press, Le Zie has “the best meatball spaghetti in NYC,” and I do love it, but...
Chocolate Sorbetto
Bklyn Larder is the kind of gourmet store every neighborhood wishes it had. They not only source exquisite products including...
Sorbetto
Summer’s on its way, which means it’s gelato season at last! To help cool off in the summer heat, Borne...
Galleto Ruspante Saltato con Insalatina (crispy sautéed tender baby chicken with petite salad)
The crispy sautéed tender baby chicken at Basta Pasta is an appetizer that’s copious enough to serve as an entrée....
Maccheroni alla Carbonara
Carbonara is one of my favorite pastas, so I always enjoy trying different interpretations of it. Chef Michael White’s rendition...
Tagliolini Allo Zafferano con Sugo Piccante di Granchio (thin homemade noodles with spicy crabmeat and light tomato sauce)
This is another classic that I return to over and over, the tagliolini with spicy crabmeat and tomato sauce at...
Yogurt Gelato
Grom, the Turin-based Italian gelato shop, made waves when it opened its first store abroad, on the Upper West Side....
Spaghetti w/ Fresh Tomato Sauce & Basil
Scott Conant’s spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce and basil is unparalleled. Even the original Underground Gourmet, Milton Glaser, agrees that...
Pizza Cavolfiore (cauliflower pizza)
Grandaisy Bakery has delicious pizzas whose recipes date back to the original Sullivan Street Bakery. Though the once-owners of a...
Nonna Maria Pizza
Bleecker Street Pizza’s Nonna Maria is a Tuscan thin-crust pizza with fresh mozzarella, homemade marinara sauce — made with canned...
Carciofo al Forno (wood oven-roasted artichoke heart with white bean purée and cremini mushrooms)
When I think of carciofo, Italian for artichoke, an image of the whole deep-fried artichoke like a beautiful dried flower...
Panna Cotta all’Aceto Balsamico
Il Buco’s panna cotta — “cooked cream” — drizzled with 10-year aged balsamic vinegar is outstanding! The panna cotta is...
Gnocchi
The pastas at Caio e Pepe are always gratifyingly tasty, but the homemade gnocchi is truly exceptional as these potato...
Spaghetti con Bottarga (spaghetti w/ bottarga di tonno, parsley & pepperoncini)
Cured and pressed fish roe, or bottarga, is well-known in Greece, and on a recent trip there I enjoyed it...
Cieche alla Pisana (quickly sautéed baby eels)
You don’t see baby eels on the menu often, and this is quite different from the eels you find on...
Vermicelli Alla Carbonara
Lupa’s carbonara is a classic craving for many New Yorkers, including myself. It’s simple and traditional: al dente vermicelli, crunchy...
Orecchiette Pork Ragu
Once you try Employees Only’s orecchiette pork ragu, you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. This heavenly ragu...
Spring Dome
Pistachio cake, raspberry purée domed inside a citrus mousse-y cream encapsulates this little bundle of joy that looks like a...
Spaghetti (w/ chilis, mint & 1 lb. lobster)
The spaghetti is cooked to a perfect al dente, so that there is actually a bite to it. It’s hard...
Spaghettini Pomodoro
Bianca’s homemade spaghettini is an egg noodle that twists and curls naturally and has a great texture and a nice...
Fresh Vegetable Sticks w/ Warm Anchovy Cream Dip
You might think that no matter how “fresh” vegetable sticks may be, they can’t be that exciting. Well, think again....
Carne Cruda
Carne cruda is basically an Italian rendition of steak tartare. A Voce’s carne cruda uses finely diced Wagyu beef, then...
Clam, Chilies & Parsley Pizza
Franny’s pizza is thin crust with no frills. The crust is yummy, and the other ingredients that adorn the pizza...
Gelato
Il Laboratorio del Gelato supplies a good majority of New York City’s top restaurants’ gelato and for good reason. Owner...
Spaghetti alle Vongole
Celeste’s spaghetti alle vongole is really one of those dishes that sustains my being. I crave it all the time....
Homemade Chicken & Wild Mushrooms Tortelloni w/ Truffle Oil
I am always drawn to dishes that include truffle oil. Via Emilia’s homemade tortelloni is no exception, but it’s not...
Tagliatelle al Ragu
One of my favorite low-key, good fare, neighborhood joints, Piadina, serves a consistently good tagliatelle al ragu. I can’t think...
Ravioli
While The Ravioli Store does sometimes have lunch service for a limited seating of 3*, I am recommending the fresh...
Linguine w/ Clams, Pancetta & Hot Chilies
After having this linguine, I craved it for four weeks straight. While it seems like a rather straightforward pasta —...
Thin-Crust Pizza
As far as grilled thin-crust pizza goes, Gonzo is excellent. The emphasis is more on the ingredients and combinations rather...
Marinara Pizza
With only four selections of pizza on the menu (marinara, bianca, margherita and filetti) and open only four days a...
Truffled Egg Toast
The Italian combination of truffle oil, fried egg and asparagus is brilliant. The truffle-oiled egg comes on a piece of...
Spaghetti w/ Tomato & Basil
Sometimes the simplest dishes are the hardest to get right. The house-made spaghetti at L’Impero is simply spaghetti with tomato...
Gelato
Otto’s gelato is so yummy, I smile when I think about it. The olive oil gelato is a must, and...
Pizze (pizzas)
These are not the pizzas you think of when you think, “I want a slice.” Great as snacks, these thin...
