Good restaurant in Little Italy?
 

We were in Boston last year and had dinner in North End where we had the best Italian food ever. Is Little Italy like that? Any recommendations on restaurants??

Little Italy in NYC?

If so, No. You'll find MUCH better Italian restaurants in other parts of Manhattan (and the Bronx).

Unfortunately Little Italy is getting smaller and smaller, which is too bad as what makes NYC great are the smaller neighborhoods - don't get me wrong their are plenty of neighborhoods, but it's sad to see some of them get swallowed up and disappear.

Do you have a price range in mind? What will you be doing the evening you want to have this meal? There is no sense in someone recommending a great place in the Bronx if you are trying to get to an 8:00 pm show in Midtown.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of good suggestions.

NOT Umberto's !! Awful food. Period.

Deb

It's certainly not the best Italian in New York, but for decent food in Little Italy, Il Cortile isn't bad.

Our plan was to go for pizza in Brooklyn, walk over the bridge and walk into Tribecca and Little Italy.
Do some shopping in Soho and Greenwich. But if you know of any other good restaurants around this area, please let me know. It doesn't have to be Little Italy, we just thought it would have been nice. But we're open for suggestions:-)

One option: Instead of pizza in Brooklyn, have pizza on the northern border of Little Italy, at Lombardi's.

http://www.firstpizza.com/newyork.html

I echo lizzie06 in saying that Italian restaurants are not near the bset in NYC, but Il Cortile is one that I also would recommend if pressed for a restaurnat in the area.

http://ilcortile.com/

A very good restaurant in the area, within 10 minute walk of and just north of, Little Italy, is Peasant. This Northern Italian/Tuscan gem is a terrific with their Naples-style pizza, pastas and items grilled in their 2 large brick ovens.

http://www.peasantnyc.com/

I meant to write "that Italian restaurants IN LITTLE ITALY are not near the best in NYC"

Where's that EDIT function when you need one?

schnookies,

Before it got hip, Greenwich Village was an Italian neighborhood. There are still plenty of vestiges of that, including lots of very good restaurants and bakeries.

I lived my whole life in NYC and moved to Boston in my mid twenties. The north end in Boston is so much better than Little Italy. I was amazed at the difference! It is so sad how small Little Italy has gotten! I do love the restaurant Fratelli though in Little Italy. As soon as you turn on to Mulberry it is just a few up on the left. lovely food and service. I used to go there all the time but haven't been since 2004! so I hope that hasn't changed....

I'll second the Lombardi's suggestion. It's the original pizza place in NY and is among the city's best. If you go there, head to Ferrara's for dessert.

Ferrera's is not very good either.

NYC is a womderful palce for genuine Italians food.

I Coppi-Tuscan-where they make their own bread the Tuscan style without salt.

Cacio e Pepe-Romano where the siganture dish is adddictive.

Supper-East 2nd Street-Nothern Italian

Lombardi's is the best pizza but also try Pizza Fresca and Tontonno's.

There are very restaurants from the old Italian community in Greewich Village. There are, however, mnay of the old style Italian coffee houses, especially in and around Bleecker.

Some of the best places to purchase food are:

Joe's Diary on Sullivan Street, they have been making their own mozzarella for almost 70 years

Raffetto's-On Houston-they make arguably the besy home made pasta. They have approximately eight varieties-including rosemary, saffron, spinach, and squid ink and then they cut it in front of you to the size you prefer. It is extraordinary quality. They two are there over 70 years.

Faicco's on Bleecker-it is butcher shop but they make such things as the best rice balls you have tasted. Their sausage is excellent.

Zito's and Rocco's are out of business. Bruno's on laGuardia is still around but it is just a shade beter than average.

Veniero's on East 11th Street is far superior to any cafe in the Village.

De Robertis-excellent cannoli

Which Tottono's? The one on 2nd Avenue. Please avoid at all cost! It's a major anomaly as it's nowhere near the quality of the original one in Brookyn. I'm surpised that it is still open - who goes there, anyway?

I totally agree with Gekko in regards to Lombardi's for pizza. Expect have to have a wait during peak dinner hours.

Will

The Tontonno's uptown.

Last time we went to Lombardi's the crust were underdone and soggy and the pizza in general was mediocre. I've heard a lot of similar remarks lately. I don't think that this is anywhere close to being a good pizza in Manhattan.

Try Arturo's on Houston (or Patsy's in Harlem if you're willing to travel further) for better pizza. Di Fara's in Brooklyn is better, heads and shoulders. But, it's in Brooklyn.

It is funny every time we eat at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn, the crust is soggy.

Gruppo on Avenue B makes a mean whole pizza.

Thanks for all your help! I agree that Grimaldis wasn't all that! Lombardis on the other hand was great and really good!! We went for dessert at Ferrara's for dessert and was very pleased. I will definitely spend more time in Greenwich next time.
Does anyone know what street is in all Woody Allen movie by the way?
You see it in "Melinda, Melinda" and it looks like the Upper West Side. Anyone know the street that seems to be the one more filmed street in NY movies? It also looks like the one Sarah Jessica Parker in SATC lives on....

The place that seems to be the most filmed in New York is the exterior of the NYS Supreme Court Building on Foley Square in Lower Manhttan.