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AP: Restaurant Thread

KC Aug 18 2006 02:11 PM

Anyone have a favorite restaurant in Little Italy that they can recommend. I al- ways feel as you wander up and down restaurant row and they're waving menus in your face that it's hit or miss if you don't have a plan. We've had a couple of really good meals for reasonable prices but we've also hit a clunker or two. I don't remember the names of any of them.

Willets Point Aug 18 2006 02:19 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 18 2006 03:54 PM

From all I've heard, there are no good authentic Italian-American restaurants left in Little Italy (just ethnoDisney types run by Asian-Americans) and one should go to Arthur Avenue instead. If that's too far a trip I'd go with the restaurant that gives you the best bribe (ex. free glass of wine). OE: Edited for clarity.

MFS62 Aug 18 2006 02:35 PM

KC, I loved (mama)Luna's when I ate there several years ago. Don't know if its still around. It caters to both the City Hall crowd and the local "families". It was funny to see them seated at tables next to each other. Every once in a while they lose their liquor license and its BYOB. Then they call in a favor from one of their city hall regulars and get it restored. Fun place. Small, so call ahead. Best Clams Oreginate I ever ate. My wife loved the hot antipasto. don't remember what pasta dishes we had. Later

KC Aug 18 2006 02:36 PM

Ain't gonna be in the Bronx, I'm gonna be down that way. I never got the authentic tag about food - authentic Italian food is served in Italy. New York has some of the best Italian style food in the country.

KC Aug 18 2006 02:37 PM

Thanks 62.

seawolf17 Aug 18 2006 02:40 PM

Last time I was there was several years ago, but we enjoyed Puglia's. Kinda family-style, IIRC, and they had this bizarro keyboard-playing guy as "entertainment", but we enjoyed it.

KC Aug 18 2006 02:48 PM

Freakin' Willet has me dreamin' of the Osso Bucco with risotto at Dominic's.

A Boy Named Seo Aug 18 2006 03:51 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 18 2006 03:52 PM

I've tried two spots down on Mulberry that both came highly recommended and they both were watery, flavorless crap. One was Luna's and the other's name I must've blocked out, but it was somehow worse than the first. The second place took two or three buildings up in a row and IIRC, were named Crappy Restaurant I, Crappy Restaurant II, and so forth. They kept trying to push big, family-style sharing meals on us even though we kept insisting on our own individual meals. Weird. And bad. It felt like Disney's "Italy Land" down there. Expensive. Contrived ambiance. If anyone knows a good Italian place not in Italy, let me know for next trip. Edit: Wonder if mine's the same Luna's that MFS dug so much.

Elster88 Aug 18 2006 03:52 PM

Has anyone ever been to Pepe's in New Haven, CT? I still haven't made it up there.

Yancy Street Gang Aug 18 2006 05:02 PM

seawolf17 wrote: Last time I was there was several years ago, but we enjoyed Puglia's. Kinda family-style, IIRC, and they had this bizarro keyboard-playing guy as "entertainment", but we enjoyed it. I ate at Puglia's on a high school field trip 26 years ago! I remember the waiters throwing cans of Dr. Pepper at us. They had a DJ playing Frank Sinatra records, but he never let any song play to its finish. Instead he'd yank it off the turntable while it was still spinning (these were in the days of vinyl) and we'd hear the screeching sound of the record being scratched. That was one strange restaurant.

KC Aug 18 2006 05:06 PM

I like wierd, I may just try that ... ABNS: >>>watery, flavorless crap<<< What the heck did you order? I used to go to Dominic's on Arthur Avenue a lot. It's an interesting experience the first time and food was wonderful. No menus, no checks, the waiter comes and you tell him what you want and he tells you if you can have it. When the meal is over he comes and tells you what you owe. Always pay what you owe.

KC Aug 19 2006 09:03 AM

Sharing some research - only about a dozen restaurants made the Zaggat Survey 2006 book: Restaruant; Food (30 being best - 20-25 is very good to excellent); Cost (estimate for 1 meal, 1 drink, tip) Angello's; 22; 41 Da Nico; 20; 33 Ferrara; 22; 18 Grotto Azzurra; 17; 43 Il Cortile; 23; 48 Il Fornaio; 21; 31 Il Palazzo; 23; 40 Pelligrino's; 23; 40 Positano; 20; 35 Toarmina; 21; 39 No mention of Mickey Mouse in any of the short reviews.

seawolf17 Aug 19 2006 10:44 AM

Yancy Street Gang wrote: ="seawolf17"]Last time I was there was several years ago, but we enjoyed Puglia's. Kinda family-style, IIRC, and they had this bizarro keyboard-playing guy as "entertainment", but we enjoyed it. I ate at Puglia's on a high school field trip 26 years ago! I remember the waiters throwing cans of Dr. Pepper at us. They had a DJ playing Frank Sinatra records, but he never let any song play to its finish. Instead he'd yank it off the turntable while it was still spinning (these were in the days of vinyl) and we'd hear the screeching sound of the record being scratched. That was one strange restaurant. Now that I think of it, it was way more than several years ago... probably closer to twenty years ago. So ignore my opinion on the place.

Iubitul Aug 19 2006 10:50 AM

Elster88 wrote: Has anyone ever been to Pepe's in New Haven, CT? I still haven't made it up there. Sally's is better, IMO There is a new Pepe's in Fairfield. I haven't eaten there yet, but I heard their pizza isn't up to the level of the one in New Haven.

Willets Point Sep 18 2006 11:42 AM

I'm meeting up with my mother in New York next week. She grew up in the City and living in Virginia the things she misses most are New York style pizza ("the kind where the cheese slides off" as she often says) and Jewish delis. Can any of you locals reccomend a good neighborhood pizzeria and deli I can take her too? We're staying in Manhattan but is you know something so good it's worth traveling to the other boroughs I'll welcome that too. Thanks

ScarletKnight41 Sep 18 2006 11:54 AM

I'm always a fan of Original Ray's pizza.

Yancy Street Gang Sep 18 2006 11:58 AM

Which one? Aren't there about 40 Ray's Pizza's, each claiming to be the original one? My favorite when I was at NYU was St. Mark's Pizza on St. Mark's Place at 8th Street. A friend recently told me that it's no longer in business, though. How fondly I recall the high metabolism days of my youth, when my roommate and I would split a pie at midnight while watching Late Night with David Letterman. Now, if I were to eat four slices of pizza right before bed several nights a week I'd gain about 30 pounds.

Rotblatt Sep 18 2006 12:04 PM

Willets Point wrote: I'm meeting up with my mother in New York next week. She grew up in the City and living in Virginia the things she misses most are New York style pizza ("the kind where the cheese slides off" as she often says) and Jewish delis. Can any of you locals reccomend a good neighborhood pizzeria and deli I can take her too? We're staying in Manhattan but is you know something so good it's worth traveling to the other boroughs I'll welcome that too. Thanks Grimaldi's! It's under the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO and it's awesome. Wood-fired and really fresh ingredients. There'll be a line, but it moves quickly. Plus, you can walk across the Brooklyn Bridge before or afterwards, and the Jacque Torres chocolate shop is around the corner. Jacque Torres is apparently a former Food Network star--good chocolates and their mochas are nice too. Oh, and there's an ice cream shop on the pier by Grimaldi's as well.

Willets Point Sep 18 2006 12:07 PM

Not that you'd know, but my mother has a paralyzing phobia of heights, so it's pretty funny to imagine walking across Brooklyn Bridge.

Johnny Dickshot Sep 18 2006 12:21 PM

The BB is just a really wide street. No worries. I also like Grimaldi's and if you got the crave, probably worth a white-knuckle walk.

metirish Sep 18 2006 12:31 PM

The Crab Shanty in City Island the Bronx is excellent.

Methead Sep 18 2006 12:59 PM

"new Pepe's in Fairfield" I've eaten there and it's pretty good. I've never been to the New Haven one though, so I can't tell you how they compare. I also like Antonio's in Fairfield for pizza. Get the "La Bomba" and thank me later.

Vic Sage Sep 18 2006 03:49 PM

the real, actual, honest-to-goodness original Ray's is on 6th Ave at 11th Street. But its more of a takeout place than a "restaurant" that you'd go to with your mother. Other good NY pizza places are John's, Patsy's, 2 boots and Totonno's. Good Jewish delis: well, there's only one Carnegie Deli, which is the quintessential jewish deli experience (especially now that the 2nd Ave Deil closed). there's also Katz's and Sarge's.

Sandgnat Sep 19 2006 10:13 AM

In Little Italy, try Fratelli on Mulberry. Gets no hype, but the food is very good and the prices are more then reasonable.

metirish Oct 12 2006 09:21 AM

Last night my girlfriend and I took my Mom ,sister,her daughter and in-laws to Sofrito at 400 E 57th St,it's real authentic Puerto Rican food and it was brilliant,great food,fun atmosphere and the staff were wonderful. My family and my sisters in-laws being from Ireland never had this kind of food, they loved it,I had the pernil which is a huge pork shoulder,and I mean it's big...the desserts were great...being that my girlfriend is from Puerto Rico she was so happy to see all the Irish people loving the place. This place used to be Jimmy's Downtown...same owner btw.

cooby Oct 12 2006 09:52 AM

Say hi to your mom and family for us!

Farmer Ted Oct 12 2006 10:38 AM

The Teds ate at Pellegrino's a few years back. A weekend lunch date. Sat three tables from the champ, Jerry Cooney. We shared a huge pasta dish and nearly barfed halfway through after I pulled a huge cockroach off my fork. The waiter didn't believe it and all but accused me of putting it there. We walked out. I think the folks at the next table left shortly thereafter, too.

cooby Oct 12 2006 10:40 AM

Ted, you've gotta come down to Curt's BBQ in Mill Hall...

Farmer Ted Oct 12 2006 10:43 AM

Doan's Bones BBQ in Centre Hall is pretty good stuff.

cooby Oct 12 2006 10:44 AM

Sounds good, I will keep that in mind. Have you been to that outdoor BBQ place between Altoona and Port Matilda? Curt's is pretty new, since we have forsaken Ruby Tuesdays (or is it the other way around) they will be getting our business.

Farmer Ted Oct 12 2006 11:02 AM

That's Clem's BBQ. A staple for this area but too many flies around the shack for my taste.

cooby Oct 12 2006 11:10 AM

Yeah, Clem's, that's it. Didn't know about the flies, we have only "sniffed" not stopped. Thanks for the heads up!

Rockin' Doc Oct 12 2006 01:23 PM

Aren't flies somewhat expected when eating outside during the summer?

cooby Oct 12 2006 01:39 PM

He already said he doesn't like bugs in his food