Good things come to those who eat LATE! This spot is usually jampacked during regular or post-drinking hours alike, but a small crew of hungry eaters came here to munch around 1 am on a Tues night, and were treated to meatball magnificence. Dim-sum style menu instructions. Choose: meatball / sauce / bread or salad / cheese. Hear specials, re-evaluate choices and order even more. Our fiesta de carnage consisted of a well-rounded assortment of flagship standards and envelope pushers, including: Beef meatball/tomato/mozzarella/roll + “chicken cordon blueball” special/parmesan cream/naked/add an egg on it + beef/spicymeatsauce/mozz/whole wheat roll + assorted slider combos. Also added some totally unnecessary but good sides such as butternut squash daily veggie special + risotto special. With a few wines and beers, came out to $20 a head. Sharing dessert.

Don’t save room, but make some space for the ice cream cookie sandwiches. They are like Oh My Gawd. Hit the gym the next day. Hard.

mega meatball smorgasbord.

oh lonely special chikn cordon blueball slider a la parmesan creme, let me put mine lips to thee...

OUTSTANDWICHES! snickerdoodle/pumpkin special ice cream + mocha latte special cookie/vanilla ice cream

dry-erase markers. B-I-N-G-Oh

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Italian, Sandwiches
Favorite Dish(es): Soppressata panini w hot peppers, asiago, and basil pesto $9

This place has by far the tastiest paninis i’ve ever eaten. Crispy toasted bread with high quality ingredients in amazing combinations. We got delivery this time around, but If you’re ever in Astoria, you’ve got to check this cool little place out for brunch or lunch.

the spread...

Tomato fresca, rosemary ricotta and black olive oil Crostini (appetizer)

Soppressata, hot peppers, asiago, and basil pesto. Winner.

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Pricing: Cheap
Venue: Take-Out
Cuisine: American, Italian (Pizza)
Favorite Dish(es): Margarita Slice ($3.50)

Artichoke Pizza is a fairly recent newcomer to the NY gourmet pizza scene.  They offer two signature pizzas that you won’t find anywhere else – Artichoke (of course) and, of all things, Crab.  But for our first visit, we opted for the traditional Margarita slice: mozzarella, fresh basil, and fresh tomato sauce. One word describes this pizza that makes it stand out from the rest of NYC’s many gourmet slices – “CRISPY.” This crust is super crispy, almost cracker-like and crunchy like melba toast, with very little bending or doughiness. It’s not the kind of pizza you can just fold in half and walk around with. It deserves your full attention, from tip to crust. They use quality ingredients, and don’t skimp on the cheese. We’re anxiously waiting to try the Artichoke and Crab slices next time. The Artichoke slice is a white pizza without tomato sauce, with a bit thicker, softer crust embedded with bits of artichoke and spinach.  Can’t wait to go back and test them out.

The famed Artichoke slice.

Margarita slice, as they call it. I think it's actually spelled "Margherita".

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228 E 10th St, between 1st and 2nd Aves
(212) 387-9545

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Italian
Favorite Dish(es): Tomato Mousse Crostini (appetizer, $5), Homemade Black Taglioni (entree, $15)

First I want to say…I finally got to try squid ink pasta. I’ve been wanting to get the infamous “black tongue” ever since I heard about it.
Having said that, I’m not sure this is the necessarily the best place to get true pasta.
It’s an Italian restaurant run by Japanese cooks and wait-staff. You can see some Japanese influences in the decor, presentation of the food, and portion-size of the dishes. We had the crostini sampler with 4 different spreads and 2 different pasta entrees. I honestly couldn’t really tell the difference between the squid ink pasta and regular pasta other than possibly the squid ink ones were chewier…? Maybe a little seafoody taste…? The pasta with meatballs was pretty good, but the sauce was a little too cheesy and salty.
Overall, it’s not the epitome of true Italian, but we thought this place was worth mentioning for the cool & cozy atmosphere. It’s a good date-place with a nice vibe and very personable service.

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Carmine’s
200 W 44th St, between 7th and 8th Aves
2450 Broadway, between 90th & 91 Sts (2nd location)
(212) 221-3800

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Italian
Favorite Dish(es): Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce ($26.50), Fried Calamari (appetizer, $28), Peppers and Onions (side dish, $14), Chocolate Torta (dessert, $11.50)

This place is another NYC tradition. Italian food served family style. That means HUGE plates. The serving sizes for all of their dishes are enough for four or even six people, which is why everything is over $20 a plate. The food has a very home-cooked flavor, not too rich, salty, or greasy like fancier restaurants. The menu includes a long list of pastas, meat dishes, appetizers, salads, and side dishes to accommodate anyone in your party, and there are plenty of large tables for big groups. It gets crowded during weekends from all the tourists, so make reservations and be sure to come hungry. You’ll still be bringing home leftovers.

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Lombardi’s
32 Spring St at Mott St
(212) 941-7994

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Pizza
Favorite Dish(es): Large Pie with Sausage and Mushrooms ($24.50)

Over 100 years old, Lombardi’s has held the title as NYC’s first pizzeria since 1905. Whether that makes it the best pizza or not (we still prefer Grimaldi’s), it’s still a NYC tradition to sit down for a pie at Lombardi’s. The menu is pretty much just pizza by the pie, a few salads, and breadsticks. The dough is a traditional thin crust, with lots of chewy bubbles to pick at, and a bit on the saltier side than Grimaldi’s or John’s. They have a wide variety of toppings (although no spicy sausage), and the waitresses are a bit on the pushy side trying to get you to order as many as possible. It makes the pie soggy in the middle, so I’d stick to 2 max, even though a 3rd topping is only 50 cents more. Just my preference. The interior is pretty spacious for downtown Soho and there are large round tables for parties of 6, but in typical NY fashion they won’t seat you until your entire party is present. However, it’s pretty easy to get a table on weekdays and there’s a full bar waiting area with good beers on tap if it’s busy. Overall, Lombardi’s makes a good slice of pie in the way only NYC pizzerias can, and it’s never an unsatisfying trip.

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Grimaldi’s
19 Old Fulton St, between Front and Water Sts (under the Brooklyn Bridge)
(718) 858-4300

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Pizza (Italian)
Favorite Dish(es): Large 18″ Pizza ($14) with any toppings ($2 each: i.e. sausage, mushrooms, olives)

The title of “Best Pizza in New York” is one that holds a lot of weight.  While many people may dispute between the two John’s, our pick goes to Grimaldi’s in DUMBO, Brooklyn.  Even though it may be a trek out to no-man’s land in DUMBO, and you may have to wait up to an hour in line outside on a busy day, and they don’t do slices, and they only take cash, it’s definitely worth checking out to decide for yourself whether this truly is the best pizza in New York in our opinion. Once you get inside, you’ll find inside a typical-looking pizza place with cramped quarters which makes it hardly seem worth the wait.  Fortunately, the pizza actually comes out very quickly and the waiters are very speedy.  Take note that Grimaldi’s pizza is cooked in a coal brick oven, not your regular gas oven, giving it a super thin but chewy crust.  It tastes a bit smoky, sometimes with a little light charring, and is less sweet than John’s crust, which serves as an excellent platform for the base toppings: fresh mozzarella, fresh tomato sauce, fresh basil, and a little olive oil drizzled somewhere in between.  Any topping combination you pick will make for a great pizza.  This is not a place for big groups, unlike John’s in Times Square, and the line may dissuade the more impatient and hungrier guests, but Grimaldi’s is a true New York experience that is worth trying at least once.  Save some space for a scoop of homemade ice cream on the pier down the block at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

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195 Grand St, between Mott & Mullberry Sts
(212) 226-6150

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Baked goods, coffee, bar
Favorite Dish(es): “Death by” Chocolate Truffle Cake, Strawberry Daiquiri

This is one of those famous historic Italian bakeries in Little Italy that you’d expect to see in a date movie. It’s a large two-story espresso cafe and bakery with a huge selection of fancy traditional Italian baked goods including their touted Tiramisu, but we usually go for a slice of one of their other specialty cakes. There’s often a line waiting for seating, with tourists and locals alike, since patrons tend to take their time loading up on caffeine and sugar, as well as their fully stocked bar. It’s well worth the wait if you’re there with good company or entertaining out-of-towners. Great date place!

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278 Bleecker St, between 6th and 7th Ave
(212) 243-1680

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Pizza
Favorite Dish(es): Whole pies range from $12-$23 depending on the size of the pie and toppings you choose. John’s has more than 50 combinations of the traditional sausage, peppers, mushrooms, ricotta, etc type of toppings- however you want on your pie, it’s yours. Try the fresh garden salad with house vinaigrette.
The Bleecker location is rustic, roomy, and casual. If you want a more formal, spacious ambiance- try the West 44th St location (it’s a great date place).

Online Menu- Bleecker
Online Menu- West 44th St