Hi there- I've got 6 people meeting up in NYC in December and we need to find a dinner spot that will be acceptable to a variety of tastes and budgets and can accomodate a large-ish group easily. I'm thinking Little Italy/Mulberry Street area- I know there are a ton of Italian joints, but what are the best ones in the "moderate" price category?

Please don't. You can do a lot better than Little Italy, where there are not really any "good" choices. With six people, you should be able to make a reservation at Carmine's on the Upper West Side. Much better food and much better experience, in my opinion. (I find the Times Square location too crowded.)

Blue Smoke might also be a good choice if your group likes BBQ and homestyle cooking (they do have other things than BBQ).

Lombardi's, the famous restaurant & best pizza in New York, is on Spring Street near Mulberry.

If you want to be ON Mulberry, check out Da Nico. The food is good and the atmosphere is very "Little Italy." And it handles groups very well.

Enjoy!

We actually ended up having a lovely and VERY tasty (much to my surprise, actually) dinner at Umberto's Clamhouse (Mulberry/Broome) in Little Italy, followed by amazing dessert and coffee at Ferrara's. Who knew that touristy could also be tasty?

With all due respect, I'd agree that there aren't a LOT of great places in Little Italy, or even agree that there are more bad ones than good ones, but to suggest that there are NO good ones there is a bit off.

Tastes vary, but there are a ton of
connoisseurs of good Italian eating who would put several Little Italy places well above Carmines. I happen to think Carmine's is a good medium prized place for a group and is lots of fun, but it tends to be more like the places many of us have in our own towns. Places like the above mentioned DaNico (we had a great meal there!) and Umberto's are really very good and give most of us from out of town a more "unique" experience, one that we at least feel is more "authentic", whether it is or not. Sometimes that's what travel dining is really all about.

Whatever you decide, make a reservation. A table for 6 is never easy to come by except in off hours.

I like Il FOrnaio in Little Italy. It's not much to look at. but very reasonable and the food is very good (with the exception of their osso buco - not good).

Check menupages.com for menus and comments and any NYC restaurant.

Il Cortile and Da Nico are the best of the bunch.

If you can bear to not be in Little Italy, Otto does groups very well, and the menu is very reasonable. They also accept reservations. It's more pizza and small plates rather than a big dish of lasagna, but you can order several things off the menu which is fun.

Another recommendation if there are at least 6 of you is 'inoteca in the Lower East Side. Groups of 6 or more can reserve a table in the wine cellar, and it's very reasonable. Again, small plates, but you can order a variety.

On a visit back "home" we had a Terrible lunch at Umberto's. I had fried calamari that was truly like eating rubber bands. I have had this dish a hundred + times at dozens + restaurants and never had anything this bad. Lots of breading and little calamari [turned out to be a good thing I guess]

When I told the waiter, he shrugged his shoulders and walked away. No adjustment on bill, no apologies. They weren't busy [summer day] and there were better choices.

I should have known better..
Deb