Mangia Italiano – Eating NYC

In a food mecca like New York City where there might as well be as many Italian restaurants as there are opinions about them, how do you choose which is good as opposed to what they just tell you is good? Is there a best or is more complicated than that? The truth is that Italian cuisine is pretty simple: If you keep it simple and put some love in the making with primo ingredients, you can’t go wrong. But the overall experience one has while dining out is nearly as important. Here are some of my completely biased reliables in NYC’s West Village, the theater district, and out and about in Astoria.

Sac’s Place
Italian | Astoria

$$
3511 35th Avenue

This local Italian favorite is nestled in what was once the Astor Room of the original Paramount Studios.
Sac’s Place in Astoria has evolved from its humble beginnings as a local 1980s corner pizzeria with a very
loyal fan base. Beginning with special requests for dishes pulled from the family’s own traditional
Abruzzo recipe book, Sac’s menu became the old-world Italian fare it offers today, and it still has the
pizza. In its new swankier landmark location up the street, Sac’s still serves up spritzes and fine Italian
vinos with antipasti, but now it’s at the very bar standing dramatically beside the ambient dining area
where stars of the old film studio once sipped martinis.

Outside, perfectly situated across from the
Museum of the Moving Image, Sac’s laid-back outdoor Pizza Garden fires up its distinctive classic pies like their Mama’s Old-fashioned, but it’s that Sicilian pie and that eggplant rollatini that hit the high notes for me. I’ve never seen customers order hand-made dough to-go from any restaurant before, so
they must be doing something right here.

Osteria al Doge
Venetian Italian | Midtown

$$
142 West 44th Street

It’s a valuable thing to have a reliable Theater District recommendation when doing dinner and a show
in NYC. The atmosphere at Osteria al Doge on W 44th Street was vibrant and glowing, and the seductive
aroma of its authentic Venetian Italian cuisine was like a familiar embrace upon entering. We were
swept upstairs by the Italian maître d’ and seated by the intimate balcony with a birds-eye view of the
lively main floor. The flow of service was a seamless presentation beginning with a luscious Valpolicella
from the elaborate wine list and a variety of in-house warm bread along with a refreshing Insalata Mista
starter. Traditional Venetian cuisine is on the simple side, but what wasn’t so simple was the selection
with its hand-made pasta dishes like Spaghetti Vongole, but with the made-to-order Rissoti, the
seduction was complete. I bet holiday time would be magical here.

L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
Neapolitan Italian | West Village

$$
2 Bank Street

Though it boasts sister restaurants in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, this Italian import has an origin
story direct from Naples, Italy circa 1870. With a chic interior at the 2 Bank Street location, L’Antica
Pizzeria da Michele opened its doors to NYC in early 2023 regaling with its wine bar and original recipe pizza,
namely their famous Margarita. It makes for a gratifying 16” shareable between friends. The influx of
patrons indoors continued into the al fresco seating section which hugs the corner of energetic
Greenwich Street. It was a very pleasant setting for a Campari Spritzer on a summer evening, but I opted
to be adventurous beyond the pizza, deferring to the Spaghetti Scarpariello. Made to order in a tight
nest, the noodle itself was nicely thick, prepared perfectly al dente with a liberal coating of rustic marinara.

Another claim to fame for this notable fave is from the movie Eat, Pray, Love where Julia Roberts’
character confesses that she is “having a relationship with pizza” at L’Antica’s Naples, Italy location.