Italian restaurant, Little Italy, Family Style - advice?

Hi folks, I am looking to make a reservation on a Saturday night down in Little Italy for an Italian, family-style restaurant. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks!

Subject: Re: Italian restaurant, Little Italy, Family Style - advice?

ic96 wrote: Hi folks, I am looking to make a reservation on a Saturday night down in Little Italy for an Italian, family-style restaurant. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks!

ummm... don't do it?

go to Carroll Gardens or Bay Ridge or Williamsburg for mo better on the Italo-Amer red sauce joints
or pm Stacey on this board - she still goes to Little Italy for something, but I don't know what. Its been a long damn time since Little Italy was a place you'd want to eat. Last time I was there, restaurant Luna, in the early '80s. All the places I'd want to go closed or morphed into horrible tourist traps imho.

Subject: Re: Italian restaurant, Little Italy, Family Style - advice?

pitu wrote: [quote=ic96]Hi folks, I am looking to make a reservation on a Saturday night down in Little Italy for an Italian, family-style restaurant. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks!

ummm... don't do it?

go to Carroll Gardens or Bay Ridge or Williamsburg for mo better on the Italo-Amer red sauce joints
or pm Stacey on this board - she still goes to Little Italy for something, but I don't know what. Its been a long damn time since Little Italy was a place you'd want to eat. Last time I was there, restaurant Luna, in the early '80s. All the places I'd want to go closed or morphed into horrible tourist traps imho.

I felt bad about saying this, but Pitu is exactly right. There are about a thousand great Italian restaurants in the city, and about zero of them are in Little Italy. If you want to be downtown, why not head over to the West Village, where there are several decent ones (no, not MacDougal or Bleecker, of course!!) Try the area around Bedford/Carmine/7th ave, etc., as I've had luck just dropping into random places in that area. If you go west of 7th, Bleecker is fine for food, but for god's sakes avoid the NYU area.

Subject: Re: Italian restaurant, Little Italy, Family Style - advice?

escap wrote:
I felt bad about saying this, but Pitu is exactly right. There are about a thousand great Italian restaurants in the city, and about zero of them are in Little Italy.

yep. as much as it pains me, i think pitu and escap are both correct.

an italian restuarant that i absolutely LOOOOOOOOVE is in the east village, 2nd ave 'tween 5th & 6th, called Frank. IMO, their pasta dishes are by far the best overall of the zillions i've sampled from NYC restaurants over the years. the place is TINY, though.

but then again, there are so many wonderful restaurants in this city i don't think it'll be hard to find one you'l be happy with!

Subject: Re: Italian restaurant, Little Italy, Family Style - advice?

ic96 wrote: Hi folks, I am looking to make a reservation on a Saturday night down in Little Italy for an Italian, family-style restaurant. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks!

The only restaurant that I still like in Littly Italy is Vincents which is on the corner of Mott and Hester.

If you want to really get your pasta on in Manhattan I LOVE Becco on 46th Street. They have a fixed price 3 course pasta meal and one of the few places that makes a red sauce exactly how I like it.

As far as Brooklyn goes there is no better Italian restaurant for me than Red Rose on Smith Street. This is a great family-style restaurant and I have never had a bad meal there. Even though I don't know much about wines the owner will usually recommend one for us and he has never steered us wrong.

We plan on walking around the San Gennaro festival, and stopping in a restaurant to get something to eat. Since we have a large group, I thought family style was the best way to feed everyone.

So I'm kinda locked in to Little Italy.

ic96 wrote: We plan on walking around the San Gennaro festival, and stopping in a restaurant to get something to eat. Since we have a large group, I thought family style was the best way to feed everyone.

So I'm kinda locked in to Little Italy.

Then definitely go to Vincent's. They make a mean sauce there and they tailor it to how you like it. I like it sweet but my husband gets his spicy. I usually go with the specials or if its something I really don't like I order the lobster raviolli.

I seriously think Vincents sucks! You'd be better off at La Mela for a group since you are stuck in the 'hood.

Il Fornaio and Il Cortile are 2 of the better places, and they may be able to accomodate a group.

If you asked me which place to stay away from, Vincents would be the first thing that came to mind.

Flexichick wrote: -I seriously think Vincents sucks! You'd be better off at La Mela for a group since you are stuck in the 'hood.

Il Fornaio and Il Cortile are 2 of the better places, and they may be able to accomodate a group.

If you asked me which place to stay away from, Vincents would be the first thing that came to mind.

Interesting because I have never had a bad meal there and I go quite often. One of the managers, Joe, is really sweet and takes good care of us.

Il Cortile is my second favorite place though.

Perhaps we just have different taste because I've never had a good meal there. Ever.

ic96 wrote: We plan on walking around the San Gennaro festival, and stopping in a restaurant to get something to eat. Since we have a large group, I thought family style was the best way to feed everyone.

So I'm kinda locked in to Little Italy.

Just take your group to Chinatown (turn any direction from Little Italy and go one block). I guarantee you'll have a better meal.

Carnivore wrote: [quote=ic96]We plan on walking around the San Gennaro festival, and stopping in a restaurant to get something to eat. Since we have a large group, I thought family style was the best way to feed everyone.

So I'm kinda locked in to Little Italy.

Just take your group to Chinatown (turn any direction from Little Italy and go one block). I guarantee you'll have a better meal.

i think this is an excellent idea. especially if you are going to be fighting the crowds during the festival, ic96. how about grabbing dinner with your large group in chinatown, then coming back to mulberry street for cappuccino and dessert? you'll probably have a better time, believe it or not.

shishkab wrote: ...then coming back to mulberry street for cappuccino and dessert? you'll probably have a better time, believe it or not.

If the weather is nice, you can sit in the backyard garden at Cha Cha's for coffee.

Yes, Chinatown is a much better idea. Surely you'll get a better meal (and at a better price).

I just had a great meal at a place called Tarallucci E Vino on 18th just west of Broadway. A little far from Little Italy, but the food was superb. Highly recommended for good Italian dining.

shishkab wrote: then coming back to mulberry street for cappuccino and dessert?

Mmmm Ferraro's

stacey wrote: [quote=shishkab] then coming back to mulberry street for cappuccino and dessert?

Mmmm Ferraro's
Yeah, that place had good stuff.

let us know where you finally go. Have fun!!

Subject: Park Side Italian Restaurant

I thought the food at Park Side was great. I had no idea it was an Italian restaurant.

Try Florio's at 192 Grand St directly across from Ferrara's. It has the Indian cigar statue out front. Ask for the non-smoking section (it's one of the last cigar bars left in NYC, with a good cigar selection at that). I've always had great seafood salad, side orders of meatballs, antipasta, etc over there. Check 'em out.

Okay. I'm looking at the posted date. I guess you already did the dinner thing. However I still recommend Florio's to the hilt. Florio's on Grand and Tomasso on 86th in Bensonhurst are my fave Italians.

goto bensonhurst or bay ridge. still got alot of nice ethnic itlian places left.

Nah! Didn't you hear? The Russians and Chinese took those neighborhoods over. Tomasso is one of the last, if not few good Italian places in both those areas.

try the edge areas like 14 ave hehe. i forget streets try like 60 something should have still some joints left .