Via Carota

Everything I had read about Via Carota mentioned that they do things with vegetables that could make any meat lover reconsider their values.  Don’t think of it as a vegetarian restaurant – there is plenty of meat and fish on the menu.  It’s just that the vegetables are given true attention rather than serving as…

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Parm

The spicy rigatoni at Carbone is one of those bucket list restaurant dishes.  It’s the cheapest thing on the menu, but it is probably the most instagrammed item they have. That said, it’s still $26 and there’s not even any meat in it.  But I’ve found a loophole: the rigatoni fra diavolo at Parm.  You…

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Graffiato

In the middle of DC’s Chinatown is Graffiato, a modern Italian-ish small plates restaurant that is churning out (and I do mean churning – our food came out super quick) innovative meals for the trendy Washington set. You could definitely eat here even if you’re not feelin’ tapas, as I know many men are opposed…

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Cacio e Pepe

About one year ago I was eating at Eataly and discovered cacio e pepe.  The name of the dish translates to “cheese and pepper”, and it’s made of literally three ingredients: pasta, cheese, and peppercorns.  But when those ingredients are combined the right way, with the proper amount of heat and pasta water, it creates…

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L’Amico

I had no idea L’Amico is a Laurent Tourendel restaurant.  I picked it simply because it was close to both the PATH and R trains.  Now that I know, however, it makes sense why our meal was so good.  The menu is continental, but has some Italian inflection, most notable within the stellar pasta section. Because…

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House of Lasagna

Anyplace called House of Lasagna has got my attention piqued.  I loooove lasagna.  It’s one of my favorite dishes to make and a sure favorite to eat.  The thing is, it’s usually an afterthought at Italian restaurants.  The focus is always on the penne or the chicken parm.  Strangely enough, even though this restaurant has…

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Gemma

Gemma is one of those restaurants everyone suggests for dinner when friends are in town.  They have great pizzas and pastas for sharing so it’s good for groups.  The atmosphere, like the Bowery Hotel it’s attached to, is old-world beautiful and [as my brother put it] feels like you’re in a Wes Anderson movie.  Despite its…

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Baker & Co.

I am so lucky to have the time between Xmas and New Years off of work.  Go out drinking on a Monday?  Sure!  Albert and I were meeting crew at Bleeker Street Bar at 3 PM for drinks and darts, which gave us plenty of time to head to the West Village side of Bleeker…

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Basil Pasta with Mushrooms

One of my Arthur Avenue finds was fresh pasta.  Rather than get plain pasta, I got basil pasta in the hopes that it would have enough flavor on its own, requiring less work on my end.  I was right – you could taste the basil in every bite.  All I put on top was a…

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