After indulging in Ms. Willinger’s fantastic tour of Italy in Adventures of an Italian Food Lover, as an Italian food lover myself, I thought I would give you a quick overview of some of my favorite Italian cravings in the city. Click on each restaurant to read more. Many of the restaurants serve seasonal menus, so while the specific craving in my past articles may not be available, I’m sure there are other scrumptious dishes awaiting you:
Credits: Water color paintings in this feature are by Suzanne Heller from Adventures of an Italian Food Lover.
A. Betto
I didn’t always enjoy eating raw squid. The chewy texture was tedious and unpalatable. But several years ago, I learned that when raw cuttlefish is cut thinly, it can be so tender. An absolute delight. The sepia crudo at Betto is living proof. The light ribbons of sepia from the Coast of Spain are drizzled with Ligurian olive oil —... full article
B. Marea
Everything on Marea’s menu is tempting, but I can never get past ordering the spaghetti with crab and sea urchin. To me, it’s perfection! The recipe sounds simple – sauté garlic, scallions and chili peppers, then add tomatoes, white wine, crab and sea urchin and toss with spaghetti – but the buttery... full article
C. Lincoln
Lincoln is the restaurant that Lincoln Center has always longed for — and the most elegant and beautiful dining space in Manhattan. The knockout dish on both of my trips to Lincoln was the gnocchi! On my first visit, I enjoyed the potato gnocchi with lobster in a veal/lobster jus and white truffle. Chef Jonathan Benno’s gnocchi... full article
D. Scarpetta
Scott Conant’s spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce and basil is unparalleled. Even the original Underground Gourmet, Milton Glaser, agrees that as easy as it seems, this spaghetti is just outstanding. It was one of my favorite pastas in town when Conant was chef at L’Impero, and I was mortified when they took it... full article
E. Porsena
There’s a harmony and a soulfulness to Sara Jenkins’s cooking, and everything at Porsena reflects that, from décor, lighting and service to the uniformly robust and delicious cooking. Jenkins’s lamb sausage pasta, anneloni con salsiccia e rape (ring-shaped pasta, spicy lamb sausage, mustard greens),is a medley of rich ochre... full article
F. Esca
The spaghetti is cooked to a perfect al dente, so that there is actually a bite to it. It’s hard to compare the tomatoes here in the US to those in Europe, but the tomatoes used in this dish made me reminisce about how flavorful and juicy tomatoes are meant to be. Finally, the full one-pound of lobster is as fresh... full article
G. Basta Pasta
One of my favorite pastas at Basta Pasta is the spaghetti with tobiko and shiso. The Japanese love mixing pastas with fish roe — mentaiko and tarako are most commonly used — and it works because the texture of the roe adds a miniature crunch and a strong flavor to the pasta. While tobiko is less commonly used it pasta, it... full article
H. Crispo
The “3p” in Crispo’s carbonara stands for pancetta, smoked pancetta and proscuitto. It all sounds rather complicated and fancy, but it really works. In addition to the three types of pork, there is also frisée mixed in to give the spaghetti an added texture and it’s a welcome addition to the mix. Finally, there’s a poached egg on top,... full article
I. Lupa
Lupa’s carbonara is a classic craving for many New Yorkers, including myself. It’s simple and traditional: al dente vermicelli, crunchy guanciale — unsmoked bacon made from pig’s cheeks — beautifully sliced scallions, gooey egg yolk and just the right dose of cracked black pepper (it rivals any cacio e pepe). The carbonara... full article
Though I wrote
Celeste’s spaghetti alle vongole is really one of those dishes that sustains my being. I crave it all the time. When I used to live on the UWS, I would have it at least once a week. This is not a fancy dish, but Celeste makes it well and consistently. The clams are fresh, the parsley and garlic add flavor and the spaghetti is cooked... full article
Bianca’s homemade spaghettini is an egg noodle that twists and curls naturally and has a great texture and a nice bite. With lots of tomatoes and basil to complete the dish, it’s simple, rustic and hearty. The tomatoes are juicy, and the egg noodles are addictive. At this charming neighborhood restaurant, the spaghettini... full article
M. Franny's
Franny’s pizza is thin crust with no frills. The crust is springy, and the other ingredients that adorn the pizza complement it equally well. As a clam lover, I only wish there were a couple more clams on this pizza, but the chilies, parsley and olive oil make it like a vongole spaghetti only in pizza form. Simply delicious!
N. Paulie Gee's
It’s always hard to resist a sausage pizza, but the Hellboy at Paulie Gee’s has brought sausage pizza to new heights. The Neapolitan-style pizza dough is topped with fior di latte, Italian tomatoes, Berkshire sopressata picante and Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus Mike’s Hot Honey. The sweet and spicy honey and the spicy sopressata are soul... full article
O. Keste Pizza & Vino
Keste Pizza & Vino receives its shipment of fresh burrata from Italy on Thursdays, then immediately starts serving the special burrata pizza that, as Keste promises, “will change your life.” Spread atop cherry tomatoes and a bed of basil leaves, the creamy burrata takes pizza to an unprecedented level. The steaming, melting burrata tastes... full article
P. Parm
I don’t believe anyone doesn’t like chicken parm. A chicken cutlet slathered with tangy, saucy marinara, melted Parmesan and basil makes the perfect comfort food sandwich on a roll or hero. This used to only be available on Torrisi’s lunch menu, but now that Parm is open for dinner, it’s available all day. Sometimes I treat myself to... full article
Q. Frankies Spuntino
Frankies serves rustically straightforward Italian-American fare at extremely reasonable prices. Everything I had, from the fennel, celery root and parsley salad with red onions and lemon, the cremini mushroom and truffle oil crostini to the meatball parmigiana sandwich reflected the simplicity yet downright goodness in... full article
The Italian combination of truffle oil, fried egg and asparagus is brilliant. The truffle-oiled egg comes on a piece of toast with morsels of asparagus on the plate. It’s great as a snack or a light meal that is sure to keep you coming back to ‘Ino or Inoteca (it’s sister restaurant in the LES) to try other treats too.
S. Il Buco
Il Buco’s panna cotta — “cooked cream” — drizzled with 10-year aged balsamic vinegar is outstanding! The panna cotta is creamy and moussey while the aged balsamic’s slight tartness gives it a palate-awakening kick. The balsamic starts out sour on the tongue but then smoothes out and finishes with a touch of sweetness, so each bite... full article
