Hi: My friend and I will be in NYC next weekend and are looking for a tasty, old-fashioned,New York Italian restaurant. Give me the red sauce, garlic and great old tunes and spare me the nouveau/ yuppie cuisine and pretentious atmospher!! Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Ciao!

Tony's Di Napoli on Second Avenue is always great. It's big, loud, and crowded with families enjoying delicious Italian food, served family-style.

In Little Italy, there's Da Nico and Il Fornaio. I prefer Il Fornaio for lunch and Da Nico for dinner.

A relatively new, and very small, restaurant has gotten a good buzz recently. I've never tried it, so I can't comment personally. Mangiarini, on Second Avenue across the street from Tony's Di Napoli.

Enjoy!

Try the Supreme Macaroni Company on 9th Avenue, between 38th and 39th. Sounds like a new place, but it's not. Been there forever. If you want to see a photo, go pull out your old Billy Joel "The Stranger" LP and look at the photo on the back. That's the place, and the pictures on the wall are still there, in the same place. Remember the song "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant"?

Not the best food you'll ever eat, but definitely an old-fashioned red sauce Italian restaurant.

You also might want to try Ralph's, further up 9th, at 56th. There was a discussion about this place a week or so ago so you might want to try a search. It should still be there.

Don't know what part of the city you're going to be in, but if it's the theater district, you may want to try Becco. It's owned by Lidia, the TV chef, but you can get the basic there, including a lunch menu that offers three types of pasta. Prices are decent (for NY).

Johns on East 12th, just east of 2nd Avenue has been there forever. Large good portions.

I'll second Tony's Di Napoli, some of the best Italian red sauce around and huge portions for sharing at very reasonable prices. They have a second location on West 43rd Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway.

Carmine's in Times Square and the Upper Westside is similar to Tony's but in my opinion not as good.

In Little Italy, the ultimate red sauce joint is Luna's. It's small, cheap and the real thing. Puglia's a block away is also a fun place on a Friday or Saturday night.

Pesce and Pasta on First Avenue and 59th Street is always crowded and reasonably priced. The food is good but not great. They have locations on the Upper East and West sides and downtown.

There is an awesome Southern Italian restaurant in the East Village called Frank on 2nd Ave. and 5th Street. It only seats about 25 and the food is awesome. It gets really crowded, so I would recommend going early (before 6:30) or for lunch. It feels like Italy. Another suggestion if you want the very old school experience is to simply walk down Mulberry Street in Little Italy. It's closed to cars below Grand Street. There are about 100 restaurants with good food and the "old tune" atmosphere complete with pictures of Frank Sinatra. Walk by and see which one smells and looks good. It's a nice thing to do for lunch, and it's super reasonable.

I second the Becco suggestion. Just delicious. I'm still trying to duplicate their cauliflower with shells. I can't get close. Their ravioli are the best I've ever had. They had an oxtail ravioli that my spouse still talks about. Very simplistic and very good.

Becco is not, as the original poster requests, "a tasty, old-fashioned, New York Italian restaurant." Becco is a reasonably new, pre-theatre hangout which offers all-you-can-eat pasta for $20. Excellent food, but not what Julie's asking for.

Uh, Abe, I guess you know the old saying, "Opinions are like ..." Just cuz YOU think Becco is or isn;t something don't make it so.

So, what are you saying? Becco is NOT a reasonably new, pre-theatre hangout which offers all-you-can-eat pasta for $20?

What is it then?

I was thinking the same thing about Becco. I don't think anyone would classify it as "red sauce, garlic and great old tunes". It's good for what it is but it's not that.

You can smell the garlic before you see any food at Becco, and I had one red sauce dish every time I was there. It certainly isn't at all pretentious, in fact at lunchtime we had kids and noise all around us and the way they dish out from the pan it's cooked in is more like Italy than any of the supposedly "just like Nonna's" places. It is Manhattan, after all. Maybe Julie does want just a tunes and meatball place. But Becco is certainly not nouveau or yuppie cuisine. Cook I tried to talk to did not speak English.

My very favorites are all in the Bronx...Patricia's on Morris Park Avenue, Frankie & Johnnie's on Bronxwood Avenue, and Rino's on Tremont Avenue just to name a few...I know you asked for city locations but I had to reply.

Il Mulino down in Village. If you don't believe me check out what Zagats and other restaurant critics have to say. It's been voted the best Italian restaurant in the US before. It can be very pricey but well worth it and heck, how often do you get to go to NY! Enjoy

Another vote for Luna's.

Felt like I would run into Tony Soprano and Paulie Walnuts there.

I asked for a beer the waiter asked me if I wanted an "import"?
Told him "sure"...he brought me a Schlitz "Imported from Milwaukee!".
Who am I to argue?

Went to Ferrara's afterwards for a major hit of sugar.

Thanks for all the replies - I REALLY appreciate your suggestions! Ciao!
Julie

Luna, Luna, Luna
Our family has been going there from NH every summer since 1984 and it is the best veal in the city. Old world, little ambience, awesome food, and fun waiters. Very inexpensive...greatest value for your $$$ in NYC.

If you're feeling brave and want to venture to Brooklyn, one of my favorite Italian restaurants is The New Corner, in Bay Ridge (8th Ave and 72nd St).
Has a nice "homey" atmosphere and great food for reasonable $.
My other favorite is in Bensonhurst section (13th Ave & 71st) called Romanos. Also great local feel and fun, slightly more $.
JK

We really enjoyed Ultimate Pasta at 57th and 1st - it's upstairs from a pizza place (maybe they are related?). BYOB (wine shop next door), great corner view, intimate and great pasta that won't break the bank.