The challenge in New York City is not finding a restaurant. The challenge is finding a good restaurant. Narrowing your choice by cuisine and neighborhood still yields many options. The West Village specializes in casual restaurants with a neighborhood vibe, even in a food-obsessed city. You can find superb Italian restaurants where you can have pasta and a glass of red wine and not spend too much money.
Piccolo Angolo specializes in basic Italian fare, reasonably priced. Find perfect renditions of penne Pomodoro, a fresh tomato sauce with basil or spicy Arrabbiata tomato sauce. Ethereal gnocchi are a must, whether with the suggested meat sauce or another sauce if you prefer; the chef is happy to top any pasta with your favorite sauce.
Piccolo Angolo
621 Hudson St.
New York, NY 10014
646-763-8379
piccoloangolo.com
Barbuto's market-driven menu changes seasonally, but expect antipasto with a seasonal soup, bruschetta and a few salads. Winter pastas include the classic gnocchi with walnuts and gorganzola or lamb ragu over tagliatelle. Entrees take a culinary leap, with simple Italian cooking methods like searing and grilling, and sauces that use balsamic vinegar or fennel as well as non-traditional ingredients like Meyer lemon or pistachios on lamb, steak and chicken. Try the comforting side of polenta or bitter but addictive broccoli rabe.
Barbuto
775 Washington Street
New York, NY 10014
212-924-9700
barbutonyc.com
Antica Venezia specializes in homemade pasta, like gnocchi with veal ragu, linguine with seafood and the unusual rigatoni with grappa Italian sausage and mushrooms. Roasted artichoke is more Roman than Venetian, but delicious nonetheless. Veal scaloppini is prepared several ways, with pesto, Pernod or artichoke hearts, shiitake mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Try a house-flavored digestif: limoncello, sambuca, or grappa, after dinner.
Antica Venezia
396 West St.
New York, NY 10014
212-229-0606
avnyc.com
