Midtown Italian restaurant recommendation please
Oct 23, 2007, 10:38 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 180
Midtown Italian restaurant recommendation please
Sorry if this has been covered in a previous thread but I'd really appreciate a recommendation for a lively Italian restaurant with great quality food in Midtown NY.
Can anyone help?
Can anyone help?
Oct 23, 2007, 12:53 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,498
NewYorkMag.com lists 73 and Menupages.com lists 185 Italian restaurants in Midtown.
In addition to Blumie's questions about location and budget, here are some more that will help us help you narrow it down:
Northern or Southern Italian?
How many people will your party be?
By "lively" do you mean you're looking for a hip scene, a place where you can get a little loud on wine and not bother anyone, or something else?
In addition to Blumie's questions about location and budget, here are some more that will help us help you narrow it down:
Northern or Southern Italian?
How many people will your party be?
By "lively" do you mean you're looking for a hip scene, a place where you can get a little loud on wine and not bother anyone, or something else?
Oct 23, 2007, 1:22 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: SPEBSQSA
Posts: 3,489
I've enjoyed Carmines (http://www.carminesnyc.com/) a couple of times. Portions can feed an army and it has been crowded.
(I'm by no means an Italian Food expert, so keep that in mind.)
(I'm by no means an Italian Food expert, so keep that in mind.)
Oct 24, 2007, 3:03 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 180
NewYorkMag.com lists 73 and Menupages.com lists 185 Italian restaurants in Midtown.
In addition to Blumie's questions about location and budget, here are some more that will help us help you narrow it down:
Northern or Southern Italian?
How many people will your party be?
By "lively" do you mean you're looking for a hip scene, a place where you can get a little loud on wine and not bother anyone, or something else?
In addition to Blumie's questions about location and budget, here are some more that will help us help you narrow it down:
Northern or Southern Italian?
How many people will your party be?
By "lively" do you mean you're looking for a hip scene, a place where you can get a little loud on wine and not bother anyone, or something else?
Oct 24, 2007, 7:36 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY (finally); previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM; BA GLD
Posts: 17,248
A couple of places come to mind:
Trattoria Trecolori (www.trattoriatrecolori.com), on 47th between Broadway and 8th, is a terrific, mid-priced, Theater District Italian. It will be very lively until the theater-going crowd vacates, but you can be as loud as you want all night long.
Le Zie (www.lezie.com), on 7th Avenue near 20th Street, is a great, neighborhood Italian. No tourists here, just locals. But great, well priced food (including amazing spaghetti and meatballs) and a lively vibe.
East 58th Street has a couple of great places, too, including Felidia and Bruno's, but these places are likely to bust your budget.
Trattoria Trecolori (www.trattoriatrecolori.com), on 47th between Broadway and 8th, is a terrific, mid-priced, Theater District Italian. It will be very lively until the theater-going crowd vacates, but you can be as loud as you want all night long.
Le Zie (www.lezie.com), on 7th Avenue near 20th Street, is a great, neighborhood Italian. No tourists here, just locals. But great, well priced food (including amazing spaghetti and meatballs) and a lively vibe.
East 58th Street has a couple of great places, too, including Felidia and Bruno's, but these places are likely to bust your budget.
Oct 24, 2007, 8:12 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,498
Carmines is more of an Italian-American-style place, heavy on the meat, cheese and red sauce served family style. It can be a lot of fun and a very good value, but I'm not sure I'd call the food particularly high quality.
Abboccato (55th between 6th and 7th) is a higher-end, excellent Italian places with much more focus on food quality rather than quantity. It's at the higher end of your budget, but shouldn't smash it too badly unless you're big drinkers.
See:
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/abboccato/
http://www.menupages.com/restaurantd...taurantid=5738
http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=3466
Sadly I'm not familiar with the other recommendations, but Blumie's advice is usually good for restaurants (Corpt's may be, too, but Corpt isn't a regular on this forum like Blumie).
Abboccato (55th between 6th and 7th) is a higher-end, excellent Italian places with much more focus on food quality rather than quantity. It's at the higher end of your budget, but shouldn't smash it too badly unless you're big drinkers.
See:
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/abboccato/
http://www.menupages.com/restaurantd...taurantid=5738
http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=3466
Sadly I'm not familiar with the other recommendations, but Blumie's advice is usually good for restaurants (Corpt's may be, too, but Corpt isn't a regular on this forum like Blumie).
Oct 24, 2007, 8:22 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 180
Carmines is more of an Italian-American-style place, heavy on the meat, cheese and red sauce served family style. It can be a lot of fun and a very good value, but I'm not sure I'd call the food particularly high quality.
Abboccato (55th between 6th and 7th) is a higher-end, excellent Italian places with much more focus on food quality rather than quantity. It's at the higher end of your budget, but shouldn't smash it too badly unless you're big drinkers.
See:
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/abboccato/
http://www.menupages.com/restaurantd...taurantid=5738
http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=3466
Sadly I'm not familiar with the other recommendations, but Blumie's advice is usually good for restaurants (Corpt's may be, too, but Corpt isn't a regular on this forum like Blumie).
Abboccato (55th between 6th and 7th) is a higher-end, excellent Italian places with much more focus on food quality rather than quantity. It's at the higher end of your budget, but shouldn't smash it too badly unless you're big drinkers.
See:
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/abboccato/
http://www.menupages.com/restaurantd...taurantid=5738
http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=3466
Sadly I'm not familiar with the other recommendations, but Blumie's advice is usually good for restaurants (Corpt's may be, too, but Corpt isn't a regular on this forum like Blumie).
Oct 24, 2007, 9:12 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: TPA
Programs: US Plat, Marriott Gold, HH Gold, Amex Plat
Posts: 793
There is a very small place at 21 W 55th Street called La Vineria that is very good. Excellent fish specials, good pasta dishes and the wine list prices will not kill you.
http://www.lavineriarestaurant.com/home.htm
http://www.lavineriarestaurant.com/home.htm
Oct 24, 2007, 11:21 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Le Zie (www.lezie.com), on 7th Avenue near 20th Street, is a great, neighborhood Italian. No tourists here, just locals. But great, well priced food (including amazing spaghetti and meatballs) and a lively vibe.
I used to live on the corner of 20th & 7th and now live only 4 blocks away. My wife and I eat here ~1/week and LOVE it. It isn't in mid-town, but it is worth dining at, as long as you don't want anything creamy.
The bar is also quite lively and a pleasant area to sit in, though it can get very crowded thanks to its small size.
My only complaint - and it is really barely one - is that the specials are rarely special. Once a month there will maybe be something new. Otherwise they are pretty much always the same. They're mostly pretty good (especially the fish baked in sea salt), but they aren't "specials" in the sense of something only on the menu for a short period of time.
Oct 26, 2007, 9:17 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY, USA
Programs: SPG GL, AA GL
Posts: 2,591
Oct 26, 2007, 11:51 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: New York City/NY22
Programs: AA Platinum 2.3MM (Lifetime PLT)
Posts: 5,285
Osteria del Circo (Usually called simply "Circo.")
120 W. 55th St., New York, NY 10019
nr. Sixth Ave.
212-265-3636
Review: http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/osteria-del-circo/
Web site: http://www.osteriadelcirco.com/index2.htm
120 W. 55th St., New York, NY 10019
nr. Sixth Ave.
212-265-3636
Review: http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/osteria-del-circo/
Web site: http://www.osteriadelcirco.com/index2.htm