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1 Lupa
Testing the limits of Italian cooking while thumbing its nose at the ancient red-sauced restaurants of Greenwich Village, Lupa evokes a stylish Roman trattoria. But whether dishing up beets zapped with ginger, house-cured coppa, or a bucatini amatriciana authentically propelled with real hog jowl, Lupa never fails to astonish and delight, and the inspired wine list connects directly with Italy's soul and soil. $
170 Thompson Street, Manhattan 212.982.5089


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2 Roberto's
Amazingly, Roberto's manages to make its pastas taste like they were made in the old country and time-warped here, still warm—penne shotgunned with tender duck breast, for example, or grenade-shaped radiatore heaped with luscious porcinis and steamed "in cartocchio." Always ignore the printed menu in favor of chalkboard specials. $
632 East 186th Street, The Bronx 718.733.9503
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3 La Villa
Descended from twin Howard Beach and Mill Basin pizzerias, this Park Slope miracle has it all: a wood-burning inferno from which sail perfect pizzas, and a distinguished menu of primi and secondi. Witness the spectacular Romano, a pie from Abruzzi compressing sausage, pepperoni, and smoky roast potatoes between two slabs of dough. ¢
261 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn 718.499.9888
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4 Max
Besting the rest of the East Village pasta mills founded according to Tuscan principle, Max tenders voluminous servings of pasta that cost less than $10, even at dinnertime, and an amazing wine list specializing in aglianicos. I dream about their pane all' aglio con acciughe—toasts topped with cheese, garlic, and anchovies, and drizzled with pungent olive oil. ¢ *
51 Avenue B, Manhattan 212.539.0111
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5 San Cono
Though low on ambience, and perhaps too brightly lit, Williamsburg's foremost restaurant—named after Saint Cono, the 12th-century patron of Teggiano, Italy—churns out wonderful heros and pastas, but the biggest appetites head for the lasagna pizza, a Brooklyn invention that loads ground meat, ricotta, and mozzarella into a deep-dish crust. ¢
303 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn 718.782.3199
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6 'ino / 'inoteca
A plague of panini is upon us! And 'ino is to blame, inspired by the Milanese sandwich bar Quadronno and still my favorite. Groove to the Italian BLT, the olive bowl, the Nutella panino, and the truffled egg toast, and wash them down with the city's most perfect cappuccino. ¢
'ino
21 Bedford Street, Manhattan 212.989.5769
'inoteca
98 Rivington Street, Manhattan 212.614.0473
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7 al di la
Nominally Venetian, this Park Slope fave branches out into the cooking of Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany, always with an eye for quirky recipes and little-known wines. Ravioli stuffed with beets? Whipped salt cod with grilled polenta? Al di la satisfies a taste for the earthy, the oily, and the arcane. $
248 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn 718.783.4565
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8 Grimaldi's
While other places that call themselves pizzerias are full-blown restaurants, Grimaldi's confines itself to pizzas, and a line of supplicants often trails out the door. The queue moves quickly because Grimaldi's is efficient at turning out the same thin, slightly charred, coal-oven beauties that were learned at the knee of East Harlem's Patsy. ¢
19 Old Fulton Street, Brooklyn 718.858.4300
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9 Lodomini's Taste of Italy
Hunkering amid the porn parlors, chicken slaughterhouses, and sweatshops under the Gowanus Expressway, this place doesn't look like much. Till you spot—if you're lucky, and the Apulian proprietor happens to be making it—the pizza glowing orange with fresh mussels. Splendid, too, is the spaghetti sauced with tripe and peas. ¢
871 Third Avenue, Brooklyn 718.768.4373
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10 Via Emilia
The unique list of lambruscos is reason enough to visit this cozy Bolognese restaurant, which takes its name from the Roman road that bisects the region. Shaped like a woman's navel, the tortellini in brodo are magnificent, and don't miss the starter of charcuterie and gnocco fritto—trapezoidal pillows of dough that, when pricked, shoot out a column of steam. $ *
240 Park Avenue South, Manhattan 212.505.3072
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11 Otto
This controversial addition to the Batali empire freaked people out with its cracker-like pizzas, one featuring the cured pork fat known as lardo. You can skip the pizzas entirely, though, feasting on cheese, cured meats, and little dishes of pickled seafood, beans, and vegetables from an agreeable menu that omits pasta and traditional main courses entirely. $
1 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan 212.995.9559


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12 Maffei Pizza
Thrill to Sicilian homestyle cooking at this Ladies Mile lunch counter, where the stacked tubs of fried calamari, seafood salad, rice balls, and oil-slicked veggies reveal a culinary breadth that goes far beyond pizza. Boldly mix the contents—a scatter of fried shrimp over baked ziti, maybe, or a bulging hero of broccoli rabe and roast beef—and find culinary nirvana. ¢
688 Sixth Avenue, Manhattan 212.929.0949
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13 DiFara's
Domenico DeMarco has been elevated to sainthood by the city's favorite foodie website (chowhound.com), and devotees dote on his every move as he fiddles with each pie, shaking on cheeses and artistically arranging the elements. Sometimes his artichoke slice is "on," sometimes not, but the enjoyment of watching him work is reason enough to make a Midwood sojourn. ¢
1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn 718.258.1367
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14 Giorgione
Giorgione caused a sensation with its octopus when it opened last year. The pastas, wine snacks, and wood-oven pizzas are hardly less impressive. In fact, this is one of the most versatile Italian places in the city, and the convivial premises bear the unmistakable imprint of the restaurant's founder, Giorgio DeLuca, co-founder of Dean & DeLuca. $ *
307 Spring Street, Manhattan 212.352.2269
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15 Malatesta
Plastered with pulp fiction covers, and located at the creepy end of Christopher, Malatesta enjoys the perfect location for its raffish food, which hails from the poorer southward part of Emilia-Romagna. Enjoy the stuffed flatbread piadina, or the predictably great bolognese sauce, here called by its proper name of tagliatelle al ragu. ¢ *
649 Washington Street, Manhattan 212.741.1207
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16 Gino's Focacceria
Anchoring the city's most impressive Sicilian nabe, Gino's knocks you out the minute you step in the door with a bravado display of baby-octopus stew, fried shrimp, glistening strips of tripe, garlicked greens, and panelle, the fried chickpea fritters that, when lathered with fresh ricotta on a bulbous roll, become the superlative "panelle special." ¢
7118 18th Avenue, Brooklyn 718.232.9073
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17 Trattoria L'Incontro
The ravioli is one of the most delicious things I've tasted lately, full moons of pasta stuffed with ricotta and heaped with fresh basil, shaved pecorino, and crushed tomatoes laced with truffle oil. This outpost beyond the last stop on the N train has become a pilgrimage site for seekers after Abruzzi rustic cuisine. $
21-76 31st Street, Astoria, Queens 718.721.3532
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18 Fratelli's Pizza Café
Perhaps the most obscurely located place on the list, Fratelli's is open 24 hours from Sunday midnight to Friday midnight, to serve the drivers and warehousemen of the Hunts Point Market. Broccoli rabe, which couldn't get any fresher, is worshipped in combination with a choice of pastas. ¢
404 Hunts Point Avenue, The Bronx 718.542.7340
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19 Joe's Restaurant
When this establishment moved into new digs further up Forest last year, the half-century-old original remained open, the sign "Trippa con Patate" still in the window. In addition to well-stewed tripe, thrill to the most perfect mussels marinara on the planet, and a pizza with a thickish Neapolitan crust that will wow you, especially if you ask for fresh mozzarella. ¢ *
66-53 Forest Avenue, Ridgewood, Queens 718.366.4888
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20 Totonno's
Located in the weed-choked neighborhood where Woody Guthrie lived out his final years, Totonno's sports the best fresh mozzarella of any pizzeria in town. That this cheese is a little soupy, making the pie damp, is fine with me. Just grab a fork! ¢
1524 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn 718.372.8606
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21 Pepe Rosso
The smallest Pepe is the best—a warm den with five tables, where the clerk hands your food over the counter on real china. I watched my pasta cooking as I grazed on Caesar salad, then enjoyed a Ligurian toss of spaghetti, fresh green beans, and red potatoes in an oily pesto so pungent I could smell it on my hands as I danced home. ¢
149 Sullivan Street, Manhattan 212.677.4555


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22 Patsy's Pizzeria
East Harlem lost its best Italian restaurant, Andy's Colonial, last year. Not uncoincidentally, Patsy's expanded its menu to include such southern Italian soul food as eggplant rolatini, cavatelli with broccoli rabe, and an unusually good pasta fagioli soup. Dine in the afternoon and see burly locals run in and out, their trucks idling outside, in your own private episode of The Sopranos. ¢
2287-91 First Avenue, Manhattan 212.534.9783
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23 In Vino
In opposition to the dozens of Italian wine bars that flaunt their barolos and brunellos, In Vino militantly espouses the wines of southern regions, especially aglianicos from Basilicata's Mount Vulture. Read up on these wines before you go, then pair them with bar snacks that run to cold cuts and molten bread dips while relaxing in the cave-like interior. $
215 East 4th Street, Manhattan 212.539.1011
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24 Bianca
With decor like a farmhouse in a dream, and scarf from Emilia-Romagna, this new establishment is the opposite of everything CBGB stands for, though just steps away. The seafood misto frito is a paragon of its type, as is the curly pasta called gramigna, dry-dressed with pepper strips and crumbled sausage. $ *
5 Bleecker Street, Manhattan 212.260.4666
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25 Fortunata's
A couple of years ago I contended that Fortunata's had the best calzone in the city. I returned to find the food even better than ever at this diminutive spot among Middle Village cemeteries. Don't miss the sfingione slice, crisp crust with plenty of garlic and sweet crushed tomatoes. Look Ma, no cheese! ¢
65-26 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, Queens 718.456.4786
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26 La Pizza Fresca
This place claims to eschew a century of American pizza-making excellence, harkening back to Naples for its piechitecture, with a framed certificate to prove it. The small pies—deploying buffalo mozzarella, pancetta, and sweet cherry tomatoes—are indeed exemplary. The pastas and secondi can't compete. $
31 East 20th Street, Manhattan 212.598.0141
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27 John's Pizzeria
Don't even think of going to any of the other Johnny-come-lately branches of this august Greenwich Village institution—only the original turns out superlative thin-crust pies. Order the voluminous salad, dressed with red-wine vinaigrette, and ponder why the menu insists on listing every possible combination of pizza toppings. ¢
278 Bleecker Street, Manhattan 212.243.1680
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28 Mama Louisa's Hero Shop
This anomaly two blocks north of Kings County Hospital is a serious Italian kitchen embedded in a rural general store. Over the counter vault such delights as a roast-beef hero bathed in mushroom gravy, rigatoni bolognese, rock lobster marinara, and artichoke Parmesan, among other culinary phenomena. ¢
609 New York Avenue, Brooklyn 718.773.7785
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29 Joe's of Avenue U
This "focacceria Palermitana" emulates the snack parlors of Sicily's capital, where one eats a hurried meal standing up. Joe's is far more comfortable, with a gleaming carryout division in front, and booths in an adjacent room. Octopus salad and pasta con sarde—a sardine sauce thickened with bread crumbs—are the things to get. ¢
287 Avenue U, Brooklyn 718.449.9285
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30 Lil' Frankie's
The second project of the Frank's empire is superior in many ways, especially the wood-oven pizzas (pick the polpettine, littered with tiny sage meatballs) and the modest selection of roast poultry and fish. Both front and back rooms are convivial, but note that pastas are not a strong point. ¢
19 First Avenue, Manhattan 212.420.4900
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31 Trattoria Paolina
Bearing the piadina—a Romagnola flatbread—to the East Village for the first time, Paolina also brought the relaxed and playful ambience of her rough-and-tumble siblings Piadina and Malatesta. The menu betrays a more feminine touch, sometimes offering crepes called crespelle and a fried and blistered ham turnover dubbed fagotto di Paolina. $ *
175 Avenue B, Manhattan 212.253.2221


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32 Locanda Vini & Olii
Ensconced in a former pharmacy, Locanda is an expanded wine bar, with deep bows to Lupa and Pepolino, featuring semi-wild notions like seafood charcuterie and a reconfigured lasagna called lasagnette. Portions are small enough to pursue the classic three-course progression—antipasta, pasta, entrée, hooray! $ *
129 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn 718.622.9202
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33 Joe and Pat's
Being the originators of the amazing scungilli (conch) pizza would be reason enough for inclusion on this list, but Joe and Pat's goes beyond that triumph with a full menu of soups, seafood, and elongated sandwiches—including one redundantly dubbed "submarine hero." ¢
1758 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island 212.981.0887
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34 Celeste
Perhaps its greatest notoriety rests on a splendid Italian cheese course—served with various honeys, nuts, and preserves. The mainly Emilia-Romagnan menu includes light-as-helium fritters, wood-oven pizzas, cured meats, pastas, and salads. $ *
502 Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan 212.874.4559
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35 Emilio's Ballato
If Little Italy had good restaurants, they'd be like this. Though the front room has been romantically renovated, the kitchen still cooks up the same congenial mix of northern and southern food as before. Go senatorial with a roast rack of lamb, or dine like a plebeian on broccoli rabe and sausages. $ *
55 East Houston Street, Manhattan 212.274.8881
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36 Lombardi's
Though the old cast-iron oven notes it was made in 1905, Lombardi's bakery dates to 1898. This is the place that invented American pizza, and the pies are still damn good—thin-crusted and brushed with tart tomato sauce. You can't go wrong with sausage and extra garlic, but if you want to take a chance, order the fresh-clam pie—it's either wonderful or awful. ¢
32 Spring Street, Manhattan 212.941.7994
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37 Da Vinci Pizza
The Neapolitan slice is prosaic looking, with normal amounts of cheese and sauce. But the minute you heft it you'll realize something's up: The crust is much lighter than usual, more like good bread than pizza. And the Sicilian slice, sluiced with molten cheese, is even more impressive. ¢
6514 18th Avenue, Brooklyn 718.232.5855
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38 Bread Tribeca
A wood-burning oven and the smell of roasting meats gets you salivating the minute you walk in the door at this chic Tribeca spot, and it's not as expensive as you might fear. Bread Tribeca is a descendent of the still-formidable Bread (20 Spring Street, 212.334.1015), a tiny wine bar with a panini menu emulating 'ino's. $ *
301 Church Street, Manhattan 212.334.8282
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39 Denino's
Staten Island's favorite purveyor of Italian food is a rough hangout where the dining room seems like an afterthought to the capacious barroom. The Staten Island-style pizzas are fab, with a crust thicker than usual, carefully browned but never charred, and so is the scungilli salad, one of the city's foremost conch showcases. ¢
524 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island 718.442.9401
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40 Joey's Hero Shop & Catering
Though it sounds more like an action movie featuring a schussing ski patrol, Joey's is the best Italian sandwich shop in the Bronx. The heros are superb, especially when topped with the add-ons displayed in the glass case, including fried eggplant, sautéed onions, and pickled hot peppers. ¢
554 Morris Avenue, The Bronx 718.993.1211
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41 Basso Est
Wild-boar sauce is hardly unique downtown, but the version at Basso Est ("lower east" in Italian) grunts with authority at this restaurant identified with Abruzzi, the rustic land over the Apennines from Rome. Sometime special sacchettoni is similarly spectacular, little sacks of pasta stuffed with smoked cheese. $ *
198 Orchard Street, Manhattan 212.358.9469


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42 Bella Napoli
The lunchtime display of dishes is dazzling: first the well-browned pizza rolls and calzones, then the slices in their colorful array, next the sautéed cutlets heaped with mushrooms and tomatoes, and finally the fixins for heros, of which chicken cutlet is most recommended, mobbed with cheese and crisped in the convection oven at the last moment. ¢
130 Madison Avenue, Manhattan 212.683.4510
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43 Abitino's
Abitino's faithfully reflects the vegetarian exuberance of Sicilian cooking, featuring slices festooned with broccoli, spinach, and fresh mushrooms; doughy rolls stuffed with eggplant; and fried cheese ravioli. Best of all are double-crust pies like the rosemaria, bulging with sausage and cheese and sprinkled with rosemary. ¢
947 First Avenue, Manhattan 212.308.1234
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44 Patricia's
Most diners don't know that the Bronx boasts a second Little Italy, competing with Arthur Avenue for their dining dollar. Patricia's is evidence of the neighborhood vigor, slinging wood-oven pizzas, profusely sauced pastas, and, best of all, a nightly list of specials like osso buco in Barolo sauce and tripe Genovese. ¢
1080 Morris Park Avenue, The Bronx 718.409.9069
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45 Mr. Phil's
In the dank dead zone under the N tracks, the garish sign might make you run in the opposite direction. But this parlor practices jamming vegetables into crusted entities, including an incredible eggplant roll that, at $3, is one of the best full meals I've had this year. Also estimable is the steroidal stromboli, a huge half-moon stuffed with meat and cheese, sold by the wedge. ¢
7212 New Utrecht Avenue, Brooklyn 718.234.4106
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46 D.O.C. Wine Bar
And you thought one Sardinian wine bar was enough? D.O.C.—the letters indicate controlled production zones of products like Chianti and Parmesan—is situated in a Williamsburg backwater, and its warm interior might be mistaken for a chalet. Wine is king, the rudimentary snacks obedient vassals. ¢ *
83 North 7th Street, Brooklyn 718.963.1925
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47 ValDiano
When it opened a few years ago, this comfy cheapster was evidence of a rare foray of Williamsburg Italian restaurateurs into Polish Greenpoint. The owners hail from Teggiano, and their southern heritage is evident in the penne arrabiata, a sauce made angry ("arrabiata") by green chiles. Savor the burn. ¢
659 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn 718.383.1707
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48 Defonte's Sandwich Shop
This 80-year-old dispenser of heros, hidden deep inside Red Hook, concocted its own take on the Italo-Kings County roast-beef hero. Called Nick's special, it marries meat, mozzarella, and fried eggplant with a fiery vegetable relish that may be ordered separately as a salad. Scrumptious! ¢
379 Columbia Street, Brooklyn 718.855.6982
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49 Randazzo's
The concrete bathtub of Sheepshead Bay once flaunted dozens of stand-up clam bars. Now only one is left. Lonely Randazzo's carries the banner, offering cheap satisfying seafood meals, and seating too. There's no better way to enjoy the carmine crustacean than in their lobster fra diavolo. ¢
2017 Emmons Avenue, Brooklyn 718.615.0010
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50 Frost
Listen carefully to my recommendations, buster, if you know what's good for you: eggplant rollatini, baked manicotti, chicken Siciliana whomped with a megaton of garlic, or any of the seafood selections sided Sicilian-style with biscuits. From the outside Frost looks like a military bunker—plan your assault accordingly. $
193 Frost Street, Brooklyn 718.389.3347
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