Restaurants in New York City
 

What are some suggested restaurants in Little Italy, SoHo and China Town.....thanks for your suggestions in advance.

Lombardi's in Little Italy. If you like ricotta cheese be sure to order a pizza topped with Ricotta impastata.

Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown. Overall the food was good...but the dumplings...OH MY! Next time there I would just get a triple order of dumplings.

Both restaurants are small. We ate early in the evening (5:30) with no waiting, but starting at 6:00 both places filled up quickly.

Lombardi's has an upstairs and has actually doubled it size about three, four years ago. Joe's Ginger up the block from Joe's Shanghai and is a sister restairant has a similar menu plus an upstairs. Besides the soup dumplings I love their rice cakes.

The restaurants in Little Italy (with the exception of Lombardi's) are pretty much universally reviled in NYC guidebooks and on Chowhound as being tourist traps to be strictly avoided. Reports abound of staff standing outside trying to wave in the unwary (in my experience, a sure sign of a bad place) and bill shenanigans such as prices that mysteriously inch upward from menu postings and unlisted "coperto" or "cover charges" like the kind Italian restaurants routinely tack on but American ones don't.

That being said, I've had better pizza elsewhere in NYC that what Lombardi's dishes up -- they're okay, but I like the pizza at Di Fara, John's, Grimaldi's, and Nick's better (though note that Di Fara has several severe "high maintenance" problems that go hand-in-hand with the great pizza they dish out).

For Chinatown, have heard good things about Joe's Shanghai but never been. I did like the eats at Great New York Noodletown, Big Wong King, and Chinatown Ice Cream Factory the times I tried them.

Among the best pizza in NY is Motorino, Tontonno's and Pizza Fresca.

John's and Grimaldi's are better known and Di Fara is a long way to travel for a slice. Another pizza place has been receiving exceptional reviews called Co. but I have not been there.

Noodletown and Big Wong's have slap dash service with the ambience of an excited kitchen. If fact we just ate at Big Wong's last Friday. The spicy chow fun, the duck, and spare ribs are among there best dishes.

For dim sum we prefer Jing Fong which makes few concessions to occidental tastes and is extremely cheap and a zoo on the weekends. Golden Unicorn is also good. I particalurlay like the fried turnip cakes.

Backpacker: The OP is asking for a restaurant in several Manhattan locations. Why are you pushing a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn?

I agree that LIttle Italy restaurants are best avoided. Other Chinatown spots to keep in mind are:

Cantoon Garden, for Cantonese seafood

Oriental Palace, for the same

Amazing 66, for Cantonese

Shanghai Cafe on Mott Street, for very good Shanghai food

In Soho, Aquagrill for seafood; Balthazar is a famous French brasserie. Bistro Les Amis & Felix are less well known bistros and not as pricey. Fanelli's and Broome St. Bar are historic old bars with good bar food (burgers).

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