Can anyone suggest a great Italian "neighborhood" restaurant in NYC? No celebrity chefs, please! We want to eat the real deal and then fugitaboudit!!! Thanks.

I hear the Hell's Kitchen area has good Italian. I had a great meal there once, but don't recall the name of the restaurant. I'll be visiting NYC next month and plan to try some places in Little Italy myself. Good luck.

Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

Go to this site-
www.chowhound.com and scroll down to Cut to the Chow. Then go to message boards and hit either Manhattan or outer boroughs. I use this site often and live in NYC. There are so many Italian restaurants that are excellent. The people on this site are very friendly and helpful. It's the perfect site for what you are looking for.

Ciao,
Denise

Arthur Ave. ..go to Domenick's - no menu - just ask the waiter... or Roberto's, around the corner on E 186th St.

Arthur Avenue in the north Bronx is it. Mario's, Dominick's, Emilia's. The best Italian food this side of, well, Italy. Mario's has been on Arthur Ave for 85 years.

I don't know if you'll be visiting NYC or if you live here, but Little Italy, although touristy, also offers some fine Italian meals. Mulberry Street is lined with decent-to-good restaurants. My personal favorites are Il Fornaio for lunch and Da Nico for dinner.

Cara Mia...small place, delicious food
Amarone...a bit larger, homemade pastas
both on ninth ave
I think they were both between 46th and 48th...Enjoy!

Piccolo Angolo in the Village is a wonderful, small Italian place. Also look at Zagat.com and search for Italian restaurants

In the theater district, try Ciro on 8th Avenue around 46th Street. Excellant food, moderately priced and a well kept secret.

I think Ciro is 8th & 49th. Food is OK. Prices are good.

It sounds like you're looking for a Red Sauce place. There are still a few good ones in Little Italy. Il Palazzo and Il Cortile on Mulberry are among the better spots.

Some great Italian restaurants that are in Manhattan (vs. Bronx, etc.) are:
Il Bagatto on 2nd Ave, betw. Ave. A&B
Il Cortile on Mulberry
I Trulli on 27th betw. Lex & Park
Lupa on Thompsonb- love this one
Beppe on 21th betw. -love this one

All my suggestions are in the Bronx...Patricia's on Morris Park Avenue, Gino's on Allerton Avenue, Frankie & Johnnie's on Bronxwood Avenue, and Mario's or Dominick's on Arthur Avenue...I take visiting family and friends to Little Italy only because they're insistent upon it.

Some great Italian restaurants that are in Manhattan (vs. Bronx, etc.) are:
Il Bagatto on 2nd Ave, betw. Ave. A&B
Il Cortile on Mulberry
I Trulli on 27th betw. Lex & Park
Lupa on Thompsonb- love this one
Beppe on 21th betw. -love this one