The 25 Best Italian Restaurants In NYC
New York City is known for (arguably) hosting some of the best Italian cuisine in the country. We rounded up some of the best options for trying flavorful dishes with attention to quality ingredients. Doesn't hurt if you can sample some Italian wine or a negroni while you're at it. Our selections pull stand-outs from across the boroughs, even if all of these restaurants are worth a trip by train or taxi. And yes, Little Italy and the West Village are obvious choices.
Maybe you're a fan of dishes from northern Italy thanks to "The Splendid Table," part of the Italian cuisine cookbook cannon. Well, so is chef Missy Robbins of Lilia Ristorante, a revered Williamsburg location that is on our list and isn't strict about crafting only dishes inspired by the Emilia-Romagna region. But, we have you covered for classic dishes paying homage to the gastronomic ecosystem that birthed balsamic vinegar, prosciutto di parma, tortellini, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Of course, like most places, Italian cuisine is inherently regional. Did you grow up starting your day with shrimp and grits, a full English breakfast, or shakshuka? We love how food speaks to history, culture, and the daily necessity of a place. Regional Italian food traditions have inspired generations of Italian Americans to develop their own regional cuisine that can be found at its best in New York City thanks to immigrants who help shape this city. And no, a red sauce joint isn't a dirty phrase around these parts.
Rubirosa Ristorante
Rubirosa is an Italian American restaurant and pizzeria in Nolita, otherwise known as North of Little Italy. The eatery was established by the son of one of the founders of Staten Island classic Joe & Pat's, and its menu pays homage to its predecessor. The vodka sauce pizza with fresh mozzarella and tie-dye pizza with a swirl of pesto sauce are standouts, but you won't want to limit yourself to just the wood-fired pies.
In addition to its popular thin-crust pizza, the location offers Italian American classics such as pastas made fresh in-house every day, antipasti like meatballs and eggplant parmigiano, as well as an entire gluten-free menu. The Infatuation raves about Rubirosa's offerings, be it the mozzarella sticks, rainbow cookies, or any of the entrées.
Reservations are not easy to obtain, but you won't need to call in a favor to grab a seat. But, we've long known about the excellent bar menu at Rubirosa, including the amaretto sour, so you won't be disappointed if you need to make friends with the bartender instead of securing a table.
Epistrophy
Restaurants featuring cuisine from the Italian island of Sardinia are less common in NYC than other regions. The loss is ours because a simple, lean diet with occasional meat dishes from locally raised animals is said to contribute to the longevity of its people; writer Dan Buettner told NBC News that women and men on the Mediterranean island make it 100 in equal numbers.
Opened by transplants from the Italian island, the Sardinia-inspired menu at Epistrophy in Nolita speaks to this mentality of locally sourced and rustic fare paired with a fresh cocktail menu. The dining room and outdoor seating filled with people when we joined on a warm Sunday evening. The lightly breaded fritto misto with marinara sauce and endive salad with orange slices and avocado are flavorful starters ideal for sharing. We also recommend the homemade potato gnocchi ai funghi or the butter-squash tortelli di zucca.
Epistrophy has been serving food all day in Nolita since 2005. This is a neighborhood restaurant where it feels like you're hanging out with your most chic friends at an intimate gathering. Whether you sit at the bar, a couch, or join the communal table, the space is casual yet refined thanks to globe lighting, water brought in vintage-looking carafes, and an expansive bookshelf to catch up on reading while you wait for The same three owners opened Le Fanfare in Greenpoint, offering housemade pasta without having to trek into Manhattan.
Bamonte's Restaurant
Open since 1900, Bamonte's is found in a two-story red-clapboard home and still has all the old-school Italian American charm. This New York institution might claim the title of oldest "red sauce" restaurants in the city, which is another way of saying you'll find plenty of classic pasta dishes with marinara or vodka sauce brought over from Southern Italy and popularized by places like this. Your meal will also be brought to your table dressed in a white table cloth by a waiter wearing a tux. The service is known to be impeccable.
Like we said, old school, or, what many people think of when conjuring the image of a family-run Italian American restaurant — as well as proof that this section of Brooklyn, or what is now called Williamsburg, wasn't always packed with condos with sky-high rents and designer boutiques. Memorabilia covers the walls and the atmosphere in the bar and dining room is often living thanks to a packed house. What's more, the crew of "The Sopranos" filmed multiple episodes at Bamonte's.
Don't expect to book a table online. La Voce di New York says reservations are taken by phone and can be hard to come by on the weekends. You can always arrive early to try for a seat at the bar. The menu offers calamari, baked ziti, fettuccine alfredo, and homemade manicotti and ravioli to pair with antipasto salads. The pork chops are a specialty.
Carbone
The Village in NYC is known for its counterculture history, brownstones, and excellent selection of restaurants. This Greenwich Village restaurant has yet to reach a decade of operation, but Carbone is considered an essential, high-end Italian American restaurant that pays homage to its predecessors in the city — if you can get a table.
Carbone is known for a place to be seen and for its delicious red-sauce Italian American cuisine, unlike some other of the notoriously popular destination restaurants in New York with notoriously bad food. You'll find Carbone on Bleeker Street, the road loaded with restaurants and people just north of Houston. Expect staples from Italian American restaurants from the mid-20th century, as in veal parmesan and seafood salad. Then, expect it to be made into something that feels very today and all its own.
Wondering how to snag a seat? Even New Yorker writer Helen Rosner needed to rely on connections to enjoy a plate of the divine rigatoni alla vodka. The food writer went as far to say that the Carbone penne alla vodka was one of the best dishes she ate in the last decade. So, the meal might actually be worth the effort.
Via Carota
This restaurant isn't trying to fight for space on your social feed but is vying for one of the best Italian restaurants in New York. And the designation of Via Carota as one of the best restaurants in the city isn't reserved to just the category of Italian food. Its old-world inspiration is by way of Florence, and ingredients are sourced from local producers. The decor speaks to this rustic approach thanks to reclaimed wood, heirloom plates, and vintage chairs that will make you feel like you took a quick jaunt to a villa.
Helmed by renowned chefs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, the partners in work and life also run three restaurants nearby: the Tuscan-style I Sodi, French-inspired Buvette, and Bar Pisellino, an Italian cocktail parlor built into an angular corner of a building that is perfect for people watching while sipping an aperitivo.
Hannah Goldfield at The New Yorker called Via Carota "the perfect restaurant," and she's not alone. Goldfield writes from insider knowledge that an Esquire writer has sent chefs, politicians, friends, and fellow food critics to the Italian restaurant for its unpretentious menu with plenty of surprises; the olive all'ascolana — a selection of olives that have been stuffed with ground pork, breaded, and fried — is top recommendation. "Those would make a good last bite before death," notes Goldfield.
Don Angie
Depending on who you ask, Don Angie might be the contemporary take on an Italian American restaurant we've all been waiting for, or a self-aware addition in a neighborhood packed with quality options for handmade pastas that is focused on making social media friendly food. But, who says great-tasting Italian-inspired food can't also be photo ready? And why can't Don Angie embrace being both?
The husband-and-wife team are making contemporary takes on Italian American cuisine, including a mouthwatering sopressini with smoked mussels. And yes, the Italian Art Deco-inspired decor and presentation of menu options like the lasagna for two — but, seriously, the six florets are closer to a family-style portion for most diners — would make for an excellent addition to anyone's social media feed.
We also found the food to be excellent. The black cocoa tiramisu made with Marsala caramel and crispy flakes of feuilletine is a dish that is so decadent it still haunts our taste buds.The Art Deco decor and private outdoor booths feel transportive rather than repetitive of the mauve accents and cafe chairs that too many restaurants across New York City have decided are a requirement of modern dining. Plus, the cocktail menu offers plenty of intriguing options: We recommend Nonna's Little Nip with or without alcohol.
I Sodi
I Sodi is Tuscan cooking dedicated to simplicity and seasonality. Owner and Chef Rita Sodi grew up in Florence, Italy, and is a self-taught chef who also happens to run some of the most respected restaurants in the city. The menu is led by tradition, but isn't bound to it. The West Village location is tucked into Christopher Street where you might miss it if you're not paying attention. But, I Sodi also feels like a true neighborhood restaurant, even if the occasional celebrity makes an appearance (they also might be a local, after all).
I Sodi also appears as a top contender for best restaurant in the city, even without the caveat of leading the Italian cuisine category. New York Magazine ranks I Sodi as "excellent," only a couple points below Gramercy Tavern or revered fine-dining destination Le Bernardin. The lasagna is the clear stand-out on the menu, but you can't go wrong with any of the house-made pastas, including the pappardelle al limone. If you can't swing a bottle on the wine list, consider one of the negronis or amaros that are not skimping on quality.
L'Artusi
You might be thinking, another West Village Italian place? L'Artusi makes this list thanks to its modern take on Italian cuisine, unpretentious wine program, and sheer popularity. You can even host a private event in the walk-in wine cellar. You'll find two levels of banquette seating and a chef's counter allowing diners to observe the flurry of activity at the semi-open kitchen.
The all-day menu features house-made pasta, crudo, and a handful of fish and meat entrees. The dessert menu is also stand-out thanks to chef Janee Humphreys' creations, such as olive oil cake with golden raisin marmellata and house-made gelati and sorbet.
If you can't get a table at L'Artusi, the restaurant group opened two other locations: B'Artusi for shared plates paired with cocktails and a pastry and sandwich shop next door called Via Porta for takeout selections. Can't decide on what to order? Gothamist recommends the cacio e pepe scone, but offers a warning: "Worth getting here early for, because they definitely sell out."
Rezdôra
Rezdôra is the type of Italian restaurant consistently recommended by food writers and friends. The restaurant in the Flatiron District received three stars from critic Pete Wells at The New York Times and a Michelin star in 2020. Rezdôra delivers a mouthwatering presentation of regional specialities and house-made stuffed pastas by way of Emilia-Romagna. We noticed the unassuming entrance due to the flurry activity, which requires a few steps to enter the dining room. But, there is outdoor seating. Reservations here also fill quickly.
We lucked out with a seat at the bar at 9 p.m. on a Friday, which the bartender explained is more common if you arrive when Rezdôra first opens. We agree with the bartender (and Wells) to start with the gnocco fritto: three pillows of light, fried dough each topped with a different style of cured pork. Selections from the Rezdôra pasta menu are served on bright ceramic plates in ideal portions for ordering multiple to share. The house showstopper is the "grandma walking through forest in emilia" with spinach pasta, a mushroom puree, and roasted leeks prepared three ways.
After selecting one of the house negronis, we opted for the hand-rolled maccheroni al Pettine with tender duck ragu and a side of warm seasonal greens smothered with garlic, olive oil, and a generous dash of salt. The list of Northern Italian wines includes a skin contact varietal with the right amount of funk. Truly, the perfect meal.
Ribalta
This Union Square restaurant is known for its Neapolitan pizza that attracts Italian expats and young, hip, professionals. But, Ribalta is not to be confused with the NY institutions where you can sit at a hard booth and chow down on $1 pizza. The Ribalta owner and chef-partner hail from Naples and consider themselves "traditionalists" in concerns to dough: Each pie uses a blend of flours certified by the Italian flour mill Le 5 Stagioni with a natural Italian yeast straight from the European peninsula.
When we showed up for a friend's birthday, who, not coincidentally, happens to be a New York transplant from Italy, people stood shoulder-to-shoulder waiting for a table to clear. No one really seemed to mind as drinks passed from the bar. The pizza really is that good. The wood-fired pizzas are perfect for one or two (we shared). Ingredients include a Buffalo mozzarella and basil pie or a zucchini puree with burrata cheese and cured speck ham. You can branch out on Ribalta's menu with starters such as baby octopus or meatballs, and end with a handful of pasta dishes like spaghetti with sautéed clams and zucchini.
Ribalta can be buzzy and packed but seems more interested in having a good time than taking itself too seriously. The dining room has plenty of room on the right weekend for people to dance while bathed by the red light of the neon signs. You'll also find plenty of outdoor seating if that's more your style.
Frank Restaurant
Frank is an East Village institution, serving Italian favorites on 2nd Avenue since 1998. This is not to be confused with another restaurant group, Frankies Spuntino with Frankies 457 in Brooklyn, which is known for a killer Italian wine list and outdoor seating. The Infatuation finds the elbow-to-elbow seating to be too claustrophobic, but admits the wine list is unparalleled, and the homemade black squid ink spaghetti with tomato sauce, herbs, and fresh shellfish is a crowd pleaser.
Like many of the best Italian restaurants in New York City, you better plan ahead and expect a packed house. You can also head to Lil Frankie's for a more casual experience, or go to the cash-only Supper to keep it all in the family with affordable Italian America fare. In fact, all of the Frank properties accept cash only — not only has the food remained just as good as it was when it opened, apparently the business practices have stayed the same as well. But trust us, Frank's rigatoni al ragu, which pays homage to grandma Carmela, is worth a trip to an ATM.
Il Posto Accanto
In a list of trendy Italian restaurants, Il Posto Accanto in the East Village is decidedly not. That isn't intended as a slight, however. Andrea Whittle at CNTraveler writes, "But in a world of hyper-branded, chic-ified everything, the uncool-ness is actually refreshing." The menu offers Sicilian-inspiration for small plates where sharing with the table makes for more options all around. So, what to get? As Whittle advises, "The brothy, saucy homemade tortelloni stuffed with oxtail are superb, and the scialatielli topped with tomato and basil is simple and perfect."
The New York Times reports owner and chef Beatrice Tosti di Valminuta grew up in Rome and started Il Posto with her husband, Julio Pena, in 1999. The Times also calls the Tosti di Valminuta the "empress of East Second Street” for holding court as one of the leading Italian restaurants in the city. The all-day menu includes plenty of classics, including antipasti like buffalo mozzarella caprese, house-made pasta, and fritto misto served Roman-style: fried zucchini, shrimps, and calamari with only a squirt of lemon.
Marea
Marea in New York pays homage to coastal Italy with its Central Park-adjacent restaurant. Marea is known for seafood, such as crudo, oysters, and whole fish preparations that earned it one Michelin star and a James Beard award. Chef Lauren DeSteno leads one of the highest-grossing kitchens in New York City that is actually worth the hype.
The fusilli pasta with octopus and bone marrow was this dish that started it all. The pastas tend to overshadow the crudi menu, which is all sliced to order, and could be considered its own micro menu. Our source says it's rare to see this kind of attention given to a raw fish menu, on par with Le Bernardin (or perhaps, even better?). Daily pastas are made by hand by a very small team. The dough is mixed in the morning, around the same time the baker comes to make the daily focaccia. It's shaped, portioned to order, and chilled to use during service — the definition of a well-oiled machine.
Longtime non-seafood favorites are the risotto ai funghi and astice antipasti, which landed at the beginning of the burrata craze and is so addictively, fresh. The branzino is baked in a sarcophagus of salt — not something easily replicated at home and a traditional cooking method worth the effort. The Altamarea restaurant group also runs Ai Fiori, which makes modern interpretations of French and Italian Riviera cuisine. The Midtown location in the Langham Hotel also boasts a wine selection of over 1,000 varieties.
Lilia Ristorante
Lilia Ristorante is buzzy, impossible to get into, and oh-so delicious. Chef-owner Missy Robbins opened Lilia in Brooklyn after helming Michelin-starred Italian restaurants in Chicago and New York. The Williamsburg restaurant prides itself on simple dishes and is known for its handmade pasta. The stand-out dish is the sheep's milk cheese-filled agnolotti with honey-saffron butter sauce and dried tomato. But, the expertly filled rectangular tubes are only the beginning.
Seasonal vegetables change often, so save room for items such as wood-fired squash, grilled artichoke with breadcrumbs or Italian broccoli in chili oil, each smothered in pungent parmigiano cheese. Speaking of wood-fired, clams, scallops and other seafood is grilled over wood, roasted or stewed as a nod to coastal Italian techniques.
If you can't manage a reservation, don't fret. The Italian-style Lilia caffé serves daytime fare, including pastries, sandwiches, and small plates to pair with a classic cappuccino or espresso by day. Aperitivi and snacks are available in the evening. You will be glad you traveled across the bridge when digging into the Italian job gelato with fennel seed and olive oil, surrounded by well-dressed young parents and hungover twenty-somethings in this gentrified, former industrial section of Brooklyn. If it weren't for all the open sky, you might swear you were still in Manhattan.
Altro Paradiso
This Italian cafe in Soho is the second property by Igancio Mattos, the chef and owner behind the hip Estrela, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Nolita that was even visited by the hippest presidential couple, the Obamas. Altro Paradiso is an Italian restaurant in the heart of SoHo borrowing from several regions to create its lunch and dinner menus.
You won't find an overwhelming selection of menu items at Altro Paradiso, with up to five items to choose from for the pasta and secondi courses. New York Magazine notes the commitment to ingredients, writing, "Mattos's style here is no less satisfying, if arguably more traditional. The menu changes often, but the level of cooking and attention to detail never waver."
The small space features a chic seating setup at the full bar, al fresco seating, and covered patio seating for year-round dining and people watching in this bustling shopping district. Altro Paradiso menu is also known for its arancini with Calabrian chile and expertly cooked swordfish.
Locanda Verde
This TriBeCa restaurant is a casual eatery inside the Greenwich Hotel lands in the heart of the high-end downtown neighborhood. Locanda Verde is also a celebrity-backed restaurant (ever heard of Robert De Niro?), and according to Fodor's, the space alone is worth a visit, thanks to natural light from large windows at this corner location. Of course, you'll also want to try the menu, which features Italian-inspired comfort foods and small plates. Also, we still recommended Locanda Verde as an all-day Italian taverna even if people claim it's not as hip as it used to be when it opened in 2009.
The brunch menu at Locanda Verde offers plenty of fresh pastries, meats such as Italian sausage with fennel, and a modern take on scampi and grits. For dinner, expect elevated plating in a dining room where modern decor meets rustic accents, including high ceilings and a buzzy atmosphere. You might even be lucky enough for a celebrity sighting. Of course, the food might be so good you could forget to look up from your plate completely.
Una Pizza Napoletana
New Yorkers take their pizza seriously. Of course, so do Neapolitans. As Una Pizza Napoletana's Anthony Mangieri told Grub Street, he found inspiration during a family trip to Naples at the age of 15. The Jersey native shared, "I decided I was going to make pizza the way they'd been doing it in Naples for 100 years — no yeast, no refrigeration, cooking with straight wood, mixing everything by hand."
Una Pizza Napoletana started in New Jersey in 1996 and bounced around in other locations before opening on the Lower East Side in the spring of 2022. This Una is currently the sixth iteration of the pizzeria. Una's Neapolitan pizza happens to be one of the best pies in New York City, and Esquire claims the owner's dedication to the craft spread the Napoletana style across the United States.
The Una team makes every pizza by hand in a wood-fired oven that can only bake three pizzas at a time. This LES location does offer more than Neapolitan-style pizza — although, you will find classics like marinara, margherita, and bianca. And, the pizza shop also creates one specialty pizza per day. But, you can also finish the meal with housemade gelati and fresh fruit sorbetto that changes with the season.
Elio's Restaurant
Elio's Restaurant makes classic Italian American cuisine that is worth celebrating. Operating since 1981, this high-end dining locale is known for being festive and packed, even for New York. Oh, and it brings in the stars: As The Infatuation notes, this Upper East Side restaurant also happens to be where Gwyneth Paltrow celebrated her 40th birthday. But, while the actor and lifestyle brand founder enjoys the food, Goop says other celebrities Joan Didion and Jerry Seinfeld — New York institutions in their own right — have also dined at this uptown Italian spot.
Elio's menu ranges from tortellini in brodo to a broiled veal chop, but you'll also find plenty of takes on pasta and seafood. The best part is the dining room is open late, so you won't have to worry about rushing from work or through one (or two) martinis. Reservations here are like many of the most desirable Italian restaurants in the city: best booked in advance. If you're willing to embrace the European dining style, a late dinner might help snag you a table.
Ci Siamo
Ci Siamo is one of the newer additions to New York's Italian restaurant scene, but this is not executive chef Hilary Sterling's first time running a lauded kitchen. The Ci Siamo dining room is tucked into the sprawling Manhattan West complex adjacent to Penn Station and Hudson Yards. The location requires traveling through the Manhattan West plaza where a fake lemon grove welcomes visitors. Robb Report notes the menu's big flavors, vintage Italian burlwood cabinets, and plenty of lounge seating for long conversations on the second-floor dining room. Views of the Empire State Building sure don't hurt, either.
The Ci Siamo menu is focused on seasonality, and many ingredients are cooked over an open fire. Eater reports chef Sterling cooks on a custom-made grill complete with mobile shelves and ample room for different-sized fires for varied heat. You can also expect pastas such as tagliatelle with tomato and buffalo butter or stracci with rabbit and parmigiano.
Ci Siamo is part of the Union Square Hospitality Group, which also owns Marta, located in The Redbury New York hotel in Midtown. Marta is known for its family-style roasts, vegetables cooked over a fire, and thin-crust pizzas.
Mario's
If you're told to head to Manhattan's Little Italy for the best Italian restaurants in New York City, chances are your source doesn't know the city well. Yes, you can find great food in this historic district. But, the spectacle is what drives most visitors to the neighborhood, which is a bit like heading to Disney World to see the architecture of its castle.
If you want Italian American cuisine, by way of southern Italy, the BBC reports Arthur Avenue in the Bronx feels like the "real Little Italy" in the country thanks to its two dozen Italian stores and restaurants that have been preserving culinary tradition for upwards of a century. This section of Belmont, close to the sprawling Bronx Park, is home to Mario's, a family-run restaurant serving food in the Neapolitan style since 1919.
James Beard award-winning journalist John Mariani writes in Forbes that Mario's cemented its take on food and ambiance in the '80s, setting the standard for Italian American restaurants. "And no one I have ever taken to or sent to Mario's has ever come away without a deep admiration for the perfectly cooked Neapolitan-style pizzas, with their crisp corona, black bubbles of dough and an amalgam of seasoned sauce, melted mozzarella and basil that perfumes the room whenever it's brought to the table," shares Mariani. You'll also find house-made pastas, golden calamari, a notable chicken parmigiana, and complimentary Italian bread and spiced carrots for the table.
Roberto's Restaurant
Roberto's Restaurant uses all fresh ingredients, makes fresh pasta, and uses a full range of raw ingredients to craft classic Italian American dishes. Chef Roberto grew up in Salerno, a Gulf city in Southern Italy, in a household that prized quality meals. He landed in the Belmont neighborhood looking to make inspired dishes that echoed what Italian immigrants might have made when they arrived a century prior, if they would have had the type of quality, fresh ingredients available in today's New York City.
The dining room offers the regality and comfort of a rustic, farmhouse that dreams of being an Italian villa. The Michelin Guide highlights the wine list and notes, "Service is on point, not unlike the simple, ample, and fresh Italian cooking — think, tubettini con polipo e bave, or pasta tubes tossed in a chunky tomato sauce with grilled octopus, clams, and fava beans."
Roberto's is just another reason it's worth a trip to the Little Italy of the Bronx to stock your pantry and dine at the many restaurants. This area is also home to Dommincks', an Italian American spot that New York Magazine included so many winks about its family-style offerings that we're worried about permanent damage from the eye strain. But, either location is a testament to the outstanding Italian restaurants that can be found in this borough.
Trattoria L'incontro
According to Travel Channel, Queens is one of the most ethnically diverse urban areas not only in New York City, but in the world, as well as being part of the most densely populated counties in the country. In this expansive borough, there is no dearth of high-quality eateries. NPR's "Code Switch" reports Astoria used to be known for its concentration of Greek and Italian American residents, and even though the cultural mix has shifted with people from around 100 countries living in the neighborhood, you'll still find one of the best Italian restaurants in NYC.
Operating since 1999, Trattoria L'incontro comes recommended by some of our fellow food lovers (and online reviewers) for its take on classic and modern Italian dishes. The chef hails from a small town in Abruzzo, Italy, and doesn't just pay lip service to all the culinary insight provided by his mother before taking the helm of the restaurant — chef Rocco Sacramone has worked alongside Tina for the last 30 years.
The Trattoria L'incontro menu offers dishes ranging from a crudo raw bar to carre d'angello, and rack of lamb with a signature spice crust. Of course, this family-run restaurant offers its share of house-made pasta, including a rigatoni with veal and pancetta in tomato sauce.
Lucali
If a restaurant is good enough for Beyoncé, it's good enough for us. Vogue says Lucali is a favorite of Ms. Knowles Carter, who prefers her pizza with jalapeños and extra tomato sauce. And, Lucali's social media is littered with celebrities from across the spectrum, including food veteran Padma Lakshmi and talk show host Jimmy Fallon.
This Carroll Gardens pizzeria is similar to other neighborhood spots like Malatesta (if you know, you know) in that Lucali is cash only. The restaurant also doesn't take reservations and is BYOB, so you will need to decide if you want to enjoy a bottle of lambrusco or pecorino before you enter the building. None of those features should detour pizza lovers from seeking out one of the best pies in the city, just be prepared to wait in line.
Fortunately, the owner opened Baby Luc's for slices and whole pies just down the street. Thrillist notes the Sicilian-style squares are a departure from the thin-crust whole pizzas at the flagship, but you might still anticipate a line out the door to grab a casual bite.
Roberta's
Roberta's embraces its Bushwick origins, even though (or perhaps because of), the brand has expanded to include eight locations in the United States and one in Singapore. The pizzeria that New York Magazine calls, "extremely Brooklyn," features a rooftop garden, bee hives, and bread bakery onsite, as well as an un-ironic tiki bar. The menu features pasta at no less than $20 a plate alongside cans of Budweiser and Coors Banquet (other locations offer soft-serve ice cream). Roberta's rotating list of events has included a night of wagyu pizza and video games. Extremely Brooklyn, indeed.
The Bushwick location is also really, really popular. The Neapolitan-style pizzas are modern, and the descriptions alone are cause for your mouth to salivate. The Bee Sting made with soppressata, basil, chili, and honey? Um, yes please. Will this painfully hip Italian-inspired restaurant also make the "olds" born before Y2K feel, like, very old? Oh yes, definitely. Should that stop you? We should all know the answer to that one.
Enoteca Maria
Enoteca Maria is easily accessed a few blocks from the Staten Island Ferry, and we are not alone in believing it's worth the trip, and not just because of the views of the Statue of Liberty from the boat. This St. George neighborhood establishment is known for a rotating roster of matriarchs helming the kitchen — as the website puts it, Nonnas of the World. The concept started as a way to showcase signature, regional dishes, such as Neapolitan or Sicilian dishes. But, today, more than 100 grandmas have shared cuisine from places such as Syria, Greece, Belarus, Turkey, and Pakistan.
The goal is to share and celebrate cultures across the globe and preserve culinary traditions that are held by these experienced at-home chefs. Depending on the night, the Entoeca Maria menu might feature a Napoli-inspired dish made by Nonna Adelina, alongside a Japanese special of zucchini dengaku by Nonna Yumi and a Turkish-style tender rabbit by Nonna Fatma.
New York Daily News says Nonna Adelina's house-made pastas excel for an Italian-inspired restaurant, writing, "I'm still dreaming about her exquisitely al dente ravioli ... bathed in a thick, peach-colored blush sauce and stuffed with rich, nutmeg-kissed ricotta." You also won't be disappointed by the all-Italian wine list, filled with obscure varietals and regional favorites. This Staten Island restaurant might be a little unorthodox, but you are unlikely to regret making a bet on any of these grandma's cooking skills.