kathryn

We have always loved visiting Little Italy and Da Nicos when we visit NYC. A friend of mine recently told me that this entire area has changed and it's no longer a great place to dine/visit. We would love to go back, but wanted to get a feel from others out there. Maybe you have some other suggestions for this area? We have kids and they have always loved it here too. Any advice is helpful! Thanks.

Gekko

Lombardi's is always a fantastic place to get pizza, and wandering around Little Italy & Chinatown can still make for an interesting afternoon. I'm sure your children would enjoy Canal Street & Mott Street.

http://www.firstpizza.com/

Enjoy!

HappyTrvlr

The negatives are that the area around Little Italy has become touristy. If you know a restaurant you like, then go. Our grandkids loved getting pastries at Ferrara's.

tuscanlifeedit

kathryn: I think I would want to ask your friends if the area has changed since when? In other words, how much time had elapsed between their visits? Or do they live in the city and remember it from long ago?

It has certainly changed over many years, but it sounds like you've been there frequently or recently enough to have a good feel for it.

Are your friends thinking of "the old days" or say the last 5 or so years?

If your kids are still kids, I think you'll find things haven't changed that much.

IMDonehere

There are a few new restaurants in the area that are excellent and have nothing to do with the old style Little Italy.

http://www.majorfood.com/locations/

Parm is inexpensive but crowded. Ferrara's is fine but cannot hold a candle to Veniero's in the East Village.

doug_stallings

I'd disagree that Little Italy is no longer a good place to go for food, but not for the reasons you might think. The old-time places are pretty awful and touristy (in my opinion) and most have closed, but a new generation of restaurants is beginning to open. Parm, which was mentioned above, is a good example of this. The Torrisi brothers have reinvented old-time Italian-American cuisine and turned it back into something that's worth going for. But these have little in common with the Little Italy of old.

Fra_Diavolo

"The Torrisi brothers have reinvented old-time Italian-American cuisine and turned it back into something that's worth going for. But these have little in common with the Little Italy of old."

It's actually sort of a parody of "the Little Italy of old." But quite good.

ekscrunchy

There is very little of the old Little Italy left, with many of the original residents decamped long ago to Brooklyn and Staten Island and replaced by Chinese from the Southeast and others.

Many of the restaurants are no longer owned by Italians, but by people from various Balkan countries. Those that remain are touristy in the extreme (recent post on Chowhound described someone being asked what kind of dressing he wanted on his salad, not realizing that salad was extra and priced at $30) except for the newer places in the neighborhood such as the Torrisi operations (Carbone is very good) and some that have nothing to do with Little Italy including quite a few Asian spots, some of which can be good but not what you are seeking.

If you want to visit a "real" Italian area, with shops where people actually speak Italian, go up to the Belmont neighborhood in the Bronx. Not so much for the restaurants, which can be good but not worth the trek, but for the atmosphere. If this is an option I can give you tips as I shop there pretty often.

kathryn

Thank you for your responses. I think we might head to Lombardi's with the kids. We use to go there all the time and I forgot about it...I think the kids will love to see the area. We might even go back to DaNico's. There is nothing better then eating in the garden and being surrounded by the great views. We are from the suburbs in Michigan so it gives our kids a chance to experience something different. I guess we are tourists so maybe it's OK if we go back! Thanks again.