I can't get enough of New York. I have been there ten times already, and each 10-day trip was a full food experience one… I have tried enough pastrami sandwiches, cookies, burgers and desserts to feel the nostalgia of this city that moves so fast. Surely there’s more to discover and more to enjoy, but for the meantime, I think I've discovered enough places to give you my Top10 list of italian restaurants to satisfy your taste buds in the Big Apple.
Bistango: Yummy and Simple Italian Cuisine in New York
Tasty pasta is served here: spaghetti and rigatoni cooked al dente, juicy meatballs in an acidic tomato sauce and the light colored sauce with meat ragout for the rigatoni. I loved the flavors, the textures, the acidity of the sauce and the tenderness of the meat. I came here with low expectations, leaving happy and satisfied, adding this Italian eatery to the list of my favorite Italian restaurants in town.
Norma: One of New York’s Best Italian Restaurants, a Must Try
Tonight and for the first time, I discover a Sicilian specialty called “Cabbuci”; it is like a calzone but more of a giant sandwich made of crunchy thick pizza crust stuffed with endless ingredients. Porchetta pork meat with arugula, provolone cheese, and spicy mayo. So yummy! A gourmet sandwich the Italian way like you never had before. It’s much more than food, a journey.
Spaghetti Incident; New York’s Italian Trattoria
Food is outstanding! One of the best burrata cheese I’ve ever tasted, cut it to watch a molten heart of cream flow on the plate. It’s simple and so good, add olive oil and double the pleasure. The real Italian cheese rarely found in restaurants around the world. The cheese ball is served with celery, tomatoes and Sicilian dressing. Now I understand why it’s considered to be one of the best. The Pasta feels loved and appreciated, cooked with passion. Intensely rich flavors, acidity, flavor, and aromas. The Pasta is cooked al dente leaving a light hardness your teeth will enjoy. The carbonara is a must try. Spaghetti cooked al dente mixed in egg yolk acting like a creamy sauce with bits of bacon. Small chewy bits of bacon, pepper, and the egg yolk cream. Yummy! The mozzarella and tomato sauce spaghetti prepared with or without garlic is loaded with flavors. I love it when the tomato sauce is intensely acidic. The rigatoni vodka made my heart skip a beat. A light vodka taste, a red sauce, an enjoyable acidity and long lasting after notes of happiness. Mmmm... I moaned!
ABC Kitchen: A Flawless Experience in New York
A pizza that's more aromatic than a perfume landed on our table. The aromas of freshness, of what real cuisine should be. A small sized pizza that's lighter than a feather. A thin and hard crust, yet fluffy too, cooked spinach and hot ricotta to cover it. Take a bite and start dreaming. The aromas take you by surprise, the flavors make your heart skip a beat and the spiciness is like nothing I've felt before. The salt inside makes it even better. Oh my goodness, this is not simply food; it's a waking dream.
Fig & Olive: Tasty Italian Food Served in New York
A huge plate of small penne bathing in olive oil, mixed with fresh mushroom, Parmesan cheese and truffle oil. No cream, not heavy, cooked al dente, strong in flavor and addictive!
Maialino: A Casual Italian With Notes of Perfection
Carbonara: perfect cooking time, al dente spaghetti, an enjoyable size, tasty chunks of pork but a strange aftertaste of something burnt or bitter. I enjoyed it but I expected better. However, the pork chunks are so good! So enjoyably crisp to bite into.
Baita on the Roof: Eataly's Pop-Up Terrace Restaurant
Delicious and simple food... comfort food! Mushrooms cut in small cubes and pan-fried with Parmesan and arugula. Cheese puffs, crunchy yet soft at the same time without any sign of oil. Mini sweet potatoes cut in half served with melting raclette, two slices of bread and arugula. The simplest of creations, the simplest of plates, are so tasty and so enjoyable. Polenta followed - I'm not a fan of polenta - served fresh on a wooden board. If you like this kind of food, you'll be amazed. And to finish, the pasta plate that was recommended to us; in-house made bread with spinach, butter, and sage. Yummy bits of green bread on a bed of butter.
Eataly New York: A Foodie's Italian Food Haven
The pasta: cooking is love, cooking is passion, cooking is enjoyment, cooking is fun... everything is found in these plates! Plates of love and flavor, exceptional cooking and delicious recipes. The meat melts under the teeth like butter, the pasta is cooked extremely al dente, the tomato sauce has a unique acidity to it... a journey of enjoyment!
Santina: Loved the Vibes, Loved the Food
Tortellini with ricotta and tomato sauce, spaghetti with blue crab and cherry tomatoe, fusilli with merguez and mussels... bravo, bravo, bravo. Super colorful and beautifully presented plates filled with pasta cooked al dente and mixed with the right amount of sauce and the right amount of olive oil. I loved the mussel pasta, enjoyed the tortellini and simply adored the spaghetti. Everything is well spiced and add value to the plates.
Craft: Incredible Food! A Lovely Dinner in New York
When pasta turns into a magical creation, served in a casserole, portions of pasta cooked al dente, each stuffed with goat cheese and bathing into a white sauce cooked with crunchy pines nuts and decorated with green spinach. It’s the butter, the creaminess and the notes of sweetness that make of it a plate you must order when visiting Craft; the plate of love if I may call it.
Marta: A Complicated Italian in New York
A super crunchy dough, a generous spread of tomato sauce, molten cheese mozzarella and olive oil... the pizza is magical! Try the risotto croquette with their hot hearts of cheese... the butternut fries are superb! Yum... the duck is really awesome! The fat, the crunchy skin, the tender meat, the flavors... it's something you really don't want to miss out on. On the other hand, salads are simply adequate.
