A 40-year-old man and a trio of teenage girls were arrested on Saturday after attempting to rob an electronics store on Lexington Avenue. At around 1:45 p.m., the perps entered the store and removed six pairs of studio headphones worth almost $2,000. Police caught wind of the heist and pursued the robbers, and during the chase one perp pushed an officer to the ground to divert him, injuring his right hand. When the police caught the robbers, the officers found that they had wire cutters and booster bags in their car. Police recovered the headphones and arrested four of the crooks, but an unidentified fourth female accomplice escaped the scene and is still at large.

PIZZA PLACE ROBBERY

A pizza place on Second Avenue was robbed on Saturday. The burglary took place around 2 a.m., when an unknown perp broke the front window with a brick and climbed in. The perp swiped an iPad and a cash register with $1,500 cash, together worth roughly $2,000. Security cameras inside the location and at neighboring buildings picked up a few of the perp’s physical details, but the perp remains at large. The store’s owner did not recognize the robber from the cameras’ images.

ROAD RAGE

An angry driver punched and spat on another young driver when the two got in an argument over a turn. According to the victim of the attack, she made a right turn into the other motorist’s driving lane at Madison Avenue and East 59 Street around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7. The motorist was not happy with being cut off, and managed to get into a shouting match with the victim, though the exact details of the altercation were not given in the incident’s report. The cut-off motorist punched the 22-year-old driver while she was in her car, then spat on her and drove off. The victim was unable to give the driver’s physical details, but reported his license plate number to the police after the attack.

CELLPHONE SWIPE

A teenage girl lost her iPhone on Tuesday, Nov. 2, to an agile thief. The girl was walking around Third Avenue and East 95th Street and took out her phone to make a call at about 10:30 p.m., then all of a sudden a man ran by and snatched the device. The thief fled east on 95th Street then bounded up north along Third Avenue. The victim could not identify the man, though mentioned that he was around 20 years old and 5’5”.

Don’t worry, she isn’t lost, she’s nonna Eugenia, the matriarch of Numero 28 and grandmother of the Biamonte clan, who run a few Numero 28 locations. When the matron isn’t fussing over guests and bringing them baskets of the restaurant’s fresh and warm foccocia, you can find her in the kitchen with chef Ramon Duran, whipping up her famous veal and pork meatballs ($9). The dense meatballs come three to plate coated in a light, sweet tomato sauce, the perfect mate for a hearty slice of the parmigiana di melanzane, the restaurant’s small plate version of eggplant parmesan ($9).

Also off the appetizer menu, try the cool and creamy bufala, a fresh buffalo mozzarella that comes with a pile of melty prosciutto ($18).  If you order the bruschetta ($8), be warned it’s a little different than usual; it was served on a large, rectangular pieces of flatbread cut in six pieces, laden high with your choice of either mouthwatering marinated mushrooms or a combination of large pieces of sweet artichoke, pesto and diced tomato.

The name Numero 28 comes from the restaurant’s first location at 28 Carmine St. in the West Village. Just like its sister restaurants, the latest venture cooks up an array of traditional pasta dishes and Neapolitan pies, bringing their cuisine to an area that, while rich in chains and pizza-by-the-slice shops, lacks a romantic, sit-down place to eat real Italian food.

Classic dishes include lasagna di carne ($16), your typical lasagna with béchamel and a homemade meat sauce; penne boschetto, which comes abound with mushrooms, truffle oil and smoky speck ($15); and freshly made ravioli with ricotta and spinach in a heavenly butter and sage sauce ($16).

While the appetizers and pasta proved worthwhile, the real star of Numero 28 is their pizza. You can order the pies in three sizes ($10-$37): the personal 14-inch, 18-inch, or the Roman-style slab of pizza that runs over two feet, at 29 inches.

We tried it with the signature numero 28, the francesina and the bianca del diavolo. The latter proved the heartiest of the bunch, loaded with mozzarella, fluffy ricotta, and thick disks of zesty pepperoni. On the francesina, they added brie to the mozzarella and speck combination, an odd concept at first that in the end worked to give more heft to the lighter cheese and cut the smokiness of the meat.

For a classic pie, try the plain cheese, which is actually a margarita—but as general manager and partner Luigi Porceddu explained in his heavy accent, the staff is so Italian that when people ordered “cheese pizza,” they got confused and instead made them their five formaggi, which comes with mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, parmesan and provolone.
Unlike the other Numero 28s, this one offers a full bar with innovative cocktails such as the Montenegroni, a fresh take on the negroni, and the Tartufone, a mixture of pear-infused vodka, grapefruit juice and white truffle oil. The dessert menu (all $7) is basic Italian fare, like semifreddo al pistachio and pannacotta, but even if you are completely full, you shouldn’t miss out on their light, silky tiramisu, which comes with coffee-saturated ladyfingers and will disappear before you know it.

Photo courtesy of Pizza Roma

To open another pizzeria on Bleecker Street, home to institutions like John’s, serious newcomers like Keste and enough NYU student-targeting Famous Original Rays to start an army, seems like utter lunacy. Open in Battery Park City, on the Lower East Side, in Sheridan Square, you want to tell these delusional owners. Pretty much anywhere else, save perhaps the three square blocks of Little Italy itself, would be more amenable to your charms.

But Pizza Roma (259 Bleecker St., betw. Cornelia & Jones Sts., pizzaromanewyork.com) wouldn’t be swayed. In a whitewashed storefront that looks more like it ought to be selling slightly twee lingerie than pizza, they have staked their claim. And while it may baffle some window shoppers, they have perfected a crust, the owners say, that uses less yeast but is allowed to rise over 96 hours, making it a “healthier alternative” to traditional pizza.

About that I have my doubts—there’s still plenty of olive oil involved, and really, who besides lingerie models chooses pizza for its healthfulness?—but it is a genuine alternative to the others on the block. There is that room, which eschews the traditional pizzeria design tropes of dark wood, arched brick doorways as if to trompe l’oeil you into thinking you’re eating under the aqueducts and a roaring furnace of an oven in a prominent corner that manages to heat the place to inferno-like levels just to prove they’re not secretly microwaving your pie. Pizza Roma, in making the bold choice to not hit you over the head with its Italianness, actually feels Italian.

Rickety wooden chairs and small tables fill the dining room, whose one red brick wall is covered with slightly goofy art, and spiky-branched floral arrangements and miniature topiaries dot the perimeter. French doors open onto a cinder-block terrace in the back, so common to West Village properties and also, fortuitously, reminiscent of a side-street cafe in Rome. It’s not fancy, it’s not designed to within an inch of its life, it’s just clean, airy and charmingly ramshackle—very Italian.

Then there’s the pizza. Healthy or not, the crust is a thrill for those looking for a break from the tyranny of the Neapolitan charred thin crust that has gripped this city. That 96-hour method produces a base layer that’s much breadier, with a light, airy interior; more focaccia-like than any pizza crust you’ve seen in a long time. Toppings also skew different, and the simpler the better; slices of potato and rosemary spikes were a rich, earthy compliment to the yeasty chew of the crust, while a pizza of the day of whole green olives and deliciously wrinkled roasted cherry tomatoes added the occasional pop of intense flavor, still allowing the crust to shine through. Less successful are those that fall back into standard pizza territories; anything with a marinara base, which tasted tomato paste-y and one-dimensional, is better left alone.

It’s also provided in square slices, cut to order off long planks that are displayed proudly in a glass case that runs the length of the entranceway. This is what’s known as pizza al taglio, pizza by the cut, in the Roman style. It’s not a new innovation—Pie by the Pound, in the East Village, has been pushing an Americanized, more-is-more version of the technique for years—but the execution, and that crust, makes it stand out. It also, apparently, makes it conducive to franchising opportunities; a Pizza Roma counter has just opened up in Whole Foods’ Bowery location.

Though I still worry for the sanity of Pizza Roma’s owners, who decided their first New York City location (the first Pizza Roma is in Barcelona, though the owners are Italians) should be in the city’s pizza ground zero, they may well have bucked the odds and done the impossible: built an original pizzeria on Bleecker Street

By Regan Hofmann

Take a simple, slightly special childhood food. Something you might get after acing a particularly hard spelling test, or to celebrate the first snow day of the year. Nothing fancy, mind you—just outside the norm enough to feel like a treat.

It’s no secret that chefs all over the city have been coming back to exactly these comforting memories for the past few years, spurred by the conflicting desires to meet consumers on their economic level and continue to push the creative envelope

Some add unusual ingredients. Some up the refinement level. And some just go over the top, letting their inner 8-year-olds go screaming through the pantry. Hot dogs? Yep. Cupcakes? We all know that one. Hot chocolate? You’re up. Here’s how this latest immature indulgence has evolved, just in time for the season of splurging.

Exotic/Traditional: Jacques Torres (350 Hudson St., betw. Charlton & King Sts.), www.mrchocolate.com

By now, of course, haute chocolatiers like Vosges and Mast Brothers have made spice-infused chocolate positively pedestrian. But back when the idea of adding chiles to chocolate was just a glimmer in an Aztec’s eye, Jacques Torres’ wicked hot chocolate was the first to blow New Yorkers’ minds and tastebuds.

Mexican hot chocolate is, of course, the grandaddy of them all. But when the idea of making a cacao-based beverage first hit, sugar was not common on the continent and the brew was spiceheavy and bitter. Fast-forward some 1,500 years and Mexico has found the sugar and lost most of the spice, save for cinnamon, which adds a piquant edge. In his take, Torres combines his dark chocolate with cinnamon, allspice and a blend of chile peppers to create a thick, fragrant brew that warms the palate in more ways than one.

Traditional/Indulgent: Otto (1 5th Ave. at 8th Street), www.ottopizzeria.com

Mario Batali’s Otto doesn’t do anything that isn’t straight from the Italian playbook, from its extensive salumi list down to the gelato that wins converts faster than you can say “really? olive oil?” Gianduja is that winning creation that pairs rich, roasty hazelnut paste with sweetened chocolate, originated in Turin, Italy, in the 1850s and ubiquitized by Nutella. Yes, the Europeans beat us to the “you got chocolate in my peanut butter” moment by about 75 years—but hey, at least we get that snappy orange wrapper.

Otto’s gianduja calda can be found on the restaurant’s dessert menu, which means you can rest assured this treat’s going to be more meal than beverage. Milk and hazelnut chocolates are melted into hazelnut-flavored milk and topped with whipped cream, and the cup comes with a dainty quaresimale, shortbread-like biscotti, perched on the saucer. Dip the cookie in your cup to marvel at how thickly the drink coats it, but save it for nibbling on separately— its crisp nuttiness is a perfect foil for the intense chocolate.

Indulgent/Childish: Coolhaus (check @CoolhausNY on Twitter for the day’s locations)

A food truck venture that began in California and has since branched out to Miami and two trucks—and a cart—in New York, Coolhaus’ main business is build-it-yourself ice cream sandwiches. The name is a cute play on the architect Rem Koolhaas, but not to worry. Though the concept is light as air, their offerings are serious business: inventive, delicious homemade ice creams and cookies in flavors from horchata and eggnog to red velvet and pumpkin spice.

In the wintertime, the truck, which roams the city but can currently be reliably found at the Union Square Holiday Market, offers similarly playful, creative hot chocolates. Flavors include dirty mint, nutella (take that, Italians!) and salted caramel. You know that kid’s urge to take all of your favorite things and combine them into one great Frankenstein’s monster? That’s how these drinks taste, in the best possible way.

Start to look for it, and you’ll see that almost any food trend can be parsed in the same way. What’ll be the next big kid’s treat to proliferate in 2012? My money’s on Rice Krispies squares—hey, stranger things have happened.

PHOTO courtesy of Jacques Torres chocolate.

Best Mom-and-Pop Café: 11th Street Café
327 W. 11th St. (betw. Greenwich & Washington Sts.), 212-924-3804
Forget Chipotle and the lunchtime rat race. Step into this adorably tiny West Village cafe for a long, delicious, anti-chain lunch. While you’re at it, get to know Maud and Philippe Bonsignour, the charming husband-and-wife team behind the operation. Maud hails from France’s Basque country, while Philippe has a proud Parisian pedigree. The two met as children somewhere romantic in France, and have been opening friendly cafés ever since they were married—Philippe in the chef’s role, Maud as manager extraordinaire. “I know every single customer,” Maud said. “I know their grandmothers. Everything.” For breakfast, the bacon, egg and cheese biscuit is an artery-clogging, hangover-busting delight—or, if you’re in a rush, get their eggs-in-a-coffee-cup to go (exotic toppings like pineapple and gruyère are optional). For lunch, the turkey sandwich with Danish blue cheese, frisée, lingonberries and honey mustard is simply brilliant.

Best Place to Have an Actual Conversation Over Coffee: Café Grumpy
224 W. 20th St. (betw. 7th & 8th Aves.)
www.cafegrumpy.com
In an era when entitled customers expect Wi-Fi, table service and an endless reservation on their chair, Café Grumpy’s no-laptop policy feels curiously antiquated. But while it does drive away über-achieving students and part-time bloggers, it brings in a much preferred crowd: the Chatty Cathys of the world. Eavesdrop on grad students explaining to clueless sorority girls why a Foucauldian reading of the text might be more insightful than a Marxian, start-up types chatting about plans to oust the CRO and the CFO and Chelsea boys plotting their sloppy conquests later. If you get desperate for some digital stimulation, discreetly check your smart (or dumb) phone or tap on an iPad under the table. Did we mention they have great coffee?

Best Place to Drink an Authentic Cup of Pakistani Chai for $1: Lahori Kebab
124 Lexington Ave. (betw. E. 28th & 29th Sts.), 212-400-1166
Craving a hot drink to wash down your dinner? Forget the redundantly named  $4 chai tea lattes and head over to Lahori Kebab to drink an authentic cup of chai. Any South Asian will tell you that a cup of chai is not made with frothed milk or nutmeg but a concoction of tea leaves boiled in water and cooked with milk, cardamom and sugar added to taste. Only $1 will get you a styrofoam cup of chai to go. The first sip brings warmth, the second sip brings contentment and the whole cup brings zen.

Best Free Popcorn: Holiday Cocktail Lounge
75 St. Marks Pl. (betw. 1st & 2nd Aves.), 212-777-9637
This East Village dive’s longtime owner no longer slings drinks, but Holiday Cocktail Lounge’s interestingly stocked jukebox, surprisingly decent beer selection and glorious popcorn remain. The new owners are Yankees-loving locals whose accents and propensity for buying barflies a beer every few rounds are welcome in a neighborhood where both comforts are no longer standard. If Mad Men teaches us anything, it’s that just about the only constant in this city is change. Don, Roger and the boys might not be saddling up to the Holiday’s U-shaped bar for an old fashioned any time soon, but it’s nice to know there’s a place where thirsty city dwellers can drink a pint and talk shit about A-Rod with a stomach full of free popcorn.

Best Gluten-Free Pizza: Pie
124 4th Ave. (betw. 12th & 13th Sts.)
www.piebythepound.com
With its quirky, no-frills decor and thin-crust, gluten-free options, Pie is the buzz among vegans jonesing for the perfect slice of grilled eggplant pie as well as the average pizza lover craving a plain cheese slice. Since you pay by weight, Pie is perfect for commitment-phobes who want to mix and match toppings. The way the pizzas are chopped up into small squares also makes sharing—and swiping—an easy option. Whether you want to devour a whole pound or just sample a couple of toppings, their inexpensive beer ($2 for Miller High Life; $2.50 for Budweiser) will help you wash it all down.

Best Cheaper than a Trip to France: Lyon
118 Greenwich Ave. (betw. W. 12th & 13th Sts.)
www.lyonnyc.com
You’ve stood in line at Ladurée for 45 minutes on your lunch break, but there’s an easier way to get your Francophile on. Lyon, a quaint and relaxed bouchon, offers all the greatest hits from the country’s gastronomic center. Enjoying an aperitif of méthode traditionelle champagne in a cozy wooden room peppered with red-checked tablecloths, you’d swear the restaurant was brought across the Atlantic board by board. The charcuterie is decadent enough to turn vegetarians into carnivores. Each barnyard friend is represented better than the next, including a Lyonnais riff on New York City’s beloved hot dog complete with salted pretzel roll. Adventurous eaters should try the tripe; the rest can find perfection in the standards: roast poulet, salad with bacon and poached egg and a rich onion soup of hearty broth, tender brisket and rich marrow jam. As the French do, wash it all down with a glass (or three) of their slightly chilled Beaujolais. Julia Child would surely be there nightly. Bon appétit!

Best Meal at a Michelin-Starred Restaurant Under $75: Aldea
31 W. 17th St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.)
www.aldearestaurant.com
The Michelin committee doesn’t screw around; they guide you toward your next superior meal of greatness. But unless you’re working with a trust fund, picking up the tab can be daunting. Unlike some of the other restaurants on the famed list, Aldea has an approachable attitude to fine dining. Chef George Mendes’ cooking pedigree will wow you, as will his fresh, modern Portuguese flavors. Iberian-inspired dishes, like their creator, are both sexy and unpretentious. Aldea’s interior is an organic foil for its cuisine—it shimmers with natural wood, light and sparkling glass. Your date will be impressed. The obvious way to sample the fare without breaking your piggy bank is to take advantage of the ever-present, three-course lunch for $24.07. But if you can find a way to make it for dinner, focus on the seafood and fish. The exception: a drool-worthy arroz de pato, with crispy duck confit and chorizo. To come in under budget, order it and share the Spanish octopus a la plancha starter. Your friend can order any of the mains and be happy. Or simply consume a liquid dinner at the bar by sampling three of Brian Block’s amazing cocktails. Either way, it’s a win-win.

Best Free Lunchtime Artisanal Food Sampling: New Amsterdam Market
100 Peck Slip (at Front St.), 212-766-8688
In a parking lot fronting the now defunct Fulton Fish Market, rows of plank and trestle tables are laden with the best chocolates, breads, cheeses and meats that money can’t buy—at least when you’re sampling the artisanal wares. This year-old reinvention of the Public Market has been a quiet success, perhaps because of its non-hip location or the high ratio of market fare to prepared foods. One could easily make a meal of dark Nordic bread, cucumber, and cheese, Mexican chocolates, bratwurst from well-tended piggies, smoked duck breast, Berkshire blue cheese and crisp slices of Bosc pears or Mutsu apples. All you need is a toothpick and no shame (when you circle back for more). And if you still feel peckish, purchase a porchetta sandwich ($6); succulent pork and crisp cracklings in a hard roll. Eat it on benches fronting the East River with a spectacular view of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Best Reason to Eat Standing Up Under the Manhattan Bridge: Xi’an Famous Foods
88 E. Broadway #106 (at Forsyth St., also 67 Bayard St.  at Mott St., 81 St. Mark’s Pl. betw. 1st & 2nd Ave.)
www.xianfoods.com
The Silk Road started in China’s Shaanxi province, in Xi’an, a city that melded Middle Eastern and Chinese foods to create a unique cuisine characterized by star anise and cumin-spiked lamb dishes, hand-pulled noodles and a distinctive white flatbread—like soft English muffins. Xi’an Famous Foods brought one family’s interpretation of this cuisine to Flushing and then to Manhattan, first at this simple kitchen/counter under the Manhattan Bridge. Too bad there are no seats, because the $3 lamb burger, stewed pork hand-ripped noodles or spicy and tingly “lamb face salad” will bring you to your knees. No worries. Walk to the Bayard Street Xi’an, this one with tables and chairs. Food is sloppy to share off one Styrofoam plate (especially when you dig a fork in and discover that it’s all one long noodle!), so get extra plates and lots of napkins. Cold flowery teas are great accompaniments to the more fiery dishes.

Best Way to Shut Californians Up About Mexican Food: Dos Toros
Various locations
www.dostoros.com
Californians who come to New York are always moaning about our lack of acceptable Mexican food. It’s one of those things we’re just supposed to accept as being wrong with New York. You can now safely tell these interloping West Coasters that they are dead wrong. Taco-obsessed brothers Leo and Oliver Kremer, originally from the Bay Area, opened the first branch of Dos Toros just below Union Square in 2009 and have since expanded their mini-empire to the West Village and Upper East Side, thanks to their simple, delicious tacos and burritos (the pork is especially outstanding and the quesadillas are a delight) and beautifully constructed spaces. This isn’t fancy Mexican with tableside guacamole preparation, but it’s certainly the sort of place to bring a friend for tacos and beers, especially if that person needs convincing that superb Mexican food can be found right here in Manhattan.

Best Place to Find Authentic Puerto Rican Food: La Taza de Oro
96 8th Ave. (at W. 15th St.), 212-243-9946
Though Chelsea has changed quite a bit in the last 50 years, this neighborhood staple has not. La Taza de Oro, a family-run eatery that has been in business for over 60 years, serves up traditional Puerto Rican dishes to neighborhood natives and curious tourists alike. Open Monday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this cozy restaurant offers finger-licking good menu items like stewed beef and fish, pollo al horno (roast chicken), ropa vieja (pulled beef) and chuletas fritas (fried pork chops). Daily specials, such as stewed codfish and goat stew, offer a healthy variety to the menu as well. Each entrée is served with a large helping of yellow rice and beans. The price is extremely reasonable, too—almost every dish is under $10. Whether you’re looking for a quick bite or craving that mofongo you tried on your trip to San Juan, La Taza de Oro will have something to sate your appetite.

Best Place to Pretend You’re on a Wong Kar-wai Set: Nom Wah Tea Parlor
13 Doyers St. (betw. Bowery & Chatham Sq.)
www.nomwah.com
It’s become more and more difficult to step into true time warps in Manhattan, but Nom Wah Tea Parlor is sticking to its mid-century guns. Originally opened in the 1920s, the honey-colored walls, red vinyl booths, Formica lunch counter (be sure to try one of their signature almond cookies on display) and 1950s appliances all act as a refreshing alternative to those faux-historic, taxidermy-happy restaurants that seem to be de rigueur these days. Wally Tang has kept the place running for the past 60 years and, although lovingly updated by nephew Wilson Tang (a former banker, ladies), the place still makes you feel you should dress in your brightly colored Sunday best and drink your tea slowly and seductively, à la In The Mood For Love. And oh, the dim sum is good, too. The steamed chinese greens in oyster sauce (updated with a “gluten free” identifier on the menu) and taro dumplings are delicious. Prices range from $1.25 to $9.95 and $5 Tsingtao beers only sweeten the highly stylized mise en scène—I mean, deal.

Best Fresh-Squeezed Juices that Don’t Cost Half Your Paycheck: Lite Delight
51 E. Houston St. (betw. Elizabeth & Mulberry Sts.), 212-966-4471
“Oh my God, I’m going on a week-long juice cleanse,” said a girl at a house party the other night. Really? So you’re basically going to pull $20 out of your purse and light it on fire for a week straight? Face it, “juice cleanse” means instant bankruptcy in this town, with many 12-oz. cups starting at $6 a pop. Deli Fresh, a holdout on Houston since the ’90s, allows the rest of us to attempt to be healthy without robbing us blind. Fresh combos like Hangover Helper, with beets, apples, cucumber and carrot, or the Warm Up, made with ginger, apple and carrot, are $3.50 for a regular or $4 for a “jumbo.” Their early bird specials from 7-10 a.m. knock the prices down to $2.50 to $3.75, allowing just about anyone to dabble in the raw juice cleanse movement. They’re only fruits and vegetables, after all.

Best Place to Catch Dinner and a Band: Pianos
158 Ludlow St. (at Stanton St.), www.pianosnyc.com
There are lots of great venues around town in which you can see great live music. There are also, of course, about a million fantastic places to have dinner. But if you want to do both of them in one place, where do you go? Pianos, of course. Serving upscale pub grub that’s just right before a rock show, the Lower East Side space manages to move its delicious food quickly, even when there’s a crowd packed in, and diners rarely feel rushed. Tuck into the Mediterranean nachos and one of the truly excellent (and affordable) burgers before seeing some of our brightest local talent or tomorrow’s hot new band today. If you’re around for happy hour, don’t miss the $5 appetizers and sandwiches or the famous margaritas that are a favorite among New York’s rock set.

Best New Place for Locals to Eat Near Times Square: Qi Bangkok Eatery
675 8th Ave. (at W. 43rd St.),
212-247-8991
Eating on 42nd Street, unless you’re grabbing something from a cart near Bryant Park or are lucky enough to frequent the Condé Nast cafeteria, is generally a horrifying proposition for New Yorkers. Thanks to Qi, chef Pichet Ong’s open-since-April Thai debut, that’s no longer the case. Qi features a menu of well-executed Thai dishes—mostly outstanding versions of those treasured standbys but with a few surprises, including outstanding and exotic curries (try the chicken and pumpkin) and eccentric desserts. Surprisingly for the neighborhood, the prices are exceedingly reasonable. Not to mention the restaurant, with a modern motif and a helpful staff, has the feeling of a place that’s much more expensive—and in an entirely different neighborhood.

Best Outer-Borough Import: Fatty ’Cue
50 Carmine St. (betw. Bleecker & Bedford Sts.), www.fattycue.com
Chef Zak Pelaccio is no stranger to Manhattan. He runs Uptown and Downtown branches of nouveau Malaysian favorite Fatty Crab as well as the traveling Fatty Snack food truck. Until recently, though, his newest restaurant, Fatty ’Cue, was only in Williamsburg. Luckily, in September a new branch of Fatty ’Cue opened on Carmine Street in the spot where Pelaccio’s restaurant Cabrito used to be. The food, a mash-up of classic barbecue and Malaysian ingredients, features unusual and finger-licking dishes like smoked lamb shoulder with house-made pita bread and goat yogurt (our favorite!) and a buttermilk-fried half-rabbit. If you want hip, Brooklyn dining without venturing to a poorly lit block beneath the Williamsburg Bridge, this is your chance.

Best New Restaurant for People Watching: The Dutch
131 Sullivan St. (at Prince St.), www.thedutchnyc.com
Chef Andrew Carmellini (Locanda Verde) opened The Dutch to much fanfare in April, and with good reason: the place is great. From the buzzy crowd to the delicious food (those oyster sliders are not to be missed), the restaurant became the place to eat this summer. Almost better than the eating, however, is the scene. From the windows that overlook both Prince and Sullivan streets’ stylish SoHo foot traffic to what’s happening inside the restaurant itself—first dates, business deals and every clued-in person below Houston Street piled in at the bar—the views are almost as exciting to consume as the striped bass with mussels in lemongrass curry broth. Space can be tight, so for optimal people watching grab a seat in the back room’s bar, where you can peek out the window and around the corner, or take advantage of the standing room to case the joint and check out the other patrons from every angle—you won’t be sorry you did.

Best Thai Food That’s Not What You’re Expecting: Zabb Elee
75 2nd Ave. (betw. E. 4th & 5th Sts.), www.zabbelee.com
Foregoing the same old items available at most of the five boroughs’ Thai restaurants, Zabb Elee instead focuses on the cuisine native to northeast Thailand, near Laos and Cambodia. Lively meat salads called larb are bright and delicious, mixing your choice of meat—we like the duck—with crushed peanuts, spices and toasted rice. An epic menu of grilled meats, well-stocked soups and more familiar all-day-special-type plates are also offered, though few are anything that even adventurous diners will be used to. In our experience, it’s best to order a cheap bottle of wine to kick off and then pick a variety of dishes—asking the supremely helpful staff for recommendations—to finish out the meal. Nothing we’ve had has been bad (though a fish dishes have been a bit too spicy—and that’s saying something), and some, like par ped moo krob, a mixture of eggplant, crispy pork, peppers, basil, ginger and curry, have been memorable enough to order on every following visit.

Best Place for Summer Drinking: The Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club
89 South St. (betw. Beekman & John Sts.), www.beekmanbeergarden.com
New to The South Street Seaport last summer, The Beekman offers a massive drinking area with unparalleled views of the Brooklyn skyline as well as a number of bridges, depending on how far you’re willing to crane your neck. Open from noon to 3 a.m. daily, the restaurant has a winterized indoor area, plenty of games (ping-pong, billiards, foosball) and a sand-filled outdoor space that’s perfect for warm—or even just warm enough—weather. In addition to a full bar and a healthy beer selection, there’s a menu of delicious and not-too-pricey food, including a Pat LaFrieda burger and a bratwurst served on a pretzel bun that make the trip east of the FDR worthwhile. The Beekman might not come into its own until summer, but why wait until the crowds swarm the place to make yourself a beloved regular?

Best Dollar Oyster Spot: Salt
29 Clinton St. (at Ave. B),
www.saltnyc.com
Dollar oyster specials have picked up steam in the city of late, though they are still few and far between. Salt’s been doing it for a while, though they recently cut back the hours. Never mind, it’s still one of the easiest places to do it, with cheap drinks and other appetizers to boot. There’s no long lines or crowded bars here. The ambiance is laid back and chill, with dark wooden tables and candlelight setting the perfect mood for oyster slurping. The oysters themselves aren’t going to bowl anyone over, but they’re pretty damn good for a buck each and still pack a good taste. Most importantly, we’ve sampled the wares many times and never once been sick, and that’s pretty much the be all, end all when it comes to cheap seafood.

Best Out of the Way Frozen Delights: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St. (at Mott St.), www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com
When you walk down Mott Street on the east side of Chinatown, ignore the Häagen-Dazs and instead turn onto Bayard Street, where you’ll find ice cream with a local twist. With flavors such as lychee, red bean and the sublime Zen Butter, a combination of peanut butter and ground sesame seeds, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory has some of the most exotic tastes this side of the Pacific. Philip Seid opened the shop some three decades ago and his daughters Christina and Katherine continue the family tradition. As its website proclaims, ice cream has been said to have been invented in China during the Tang Dynasty, but it’s taken a few thousand years to come up with this particular take on the dessert.

Best Place to Get Fried Crickets:
Rhong Tiam
154 Orchard St. (betw. Rivington & Stanton Sts.), www.rhong-tiam.com
To be honest, there really aren’t that many. But at Rhong Tiam, you can order the Thai popcorn, a few dozen lightly fried and seasoned inch-long crickets. In Thailand they’re considered a delicacy and are readily available on street corners, though the version here is a little more upscale and gourmet than the Thai street version. And while the novelty of eating giant bugs might wear off after one or two, rest assured that the rest of the food on the menu is more standard Thai fare and is pretty damn tasty. And while the crickets are not exactly great for date night, they are great for dining with your friends. Or you can get ’em to go, then hit the bars and dare strangers to eat them to enliven a dull night. Never fails. Just remember to remove the head and legs. Nobody wants to cut their night short because they got a thorax stuck in their throat.

Best Bar to Lure Your Brooklyn Friends In: Bar 169
169 E. Broadway (betw. Jefferson & Rutgers Sts.), www.169barnyc.com
If you’re like most of us, your friends are probably split between somewhere south of 14th Street and Brooklyn. This can make for some infighting when it comes to drinking decisions; thankfully, Bar 169 is perfect to unite all. Downtown enough to avoid frat boys and college kids, this ragtag dive features cheap drinks with generous pours, a raw bar, cheap dumplings till 4 a.m., loud music, a Bettie Page lookalike who sometimes dances on a pole and an attractive, friendly crowd. It’s tough to have a bad time. There’s just something about the New Orleans-inspired atmosphere, with all of the crap on the ceiling and the weird lighting and raw bar station, that leads to a sloppy, debauchery-filled fun night. It’s a complete sensory overload, and just the right mixture of unpretentious without attracting too douchey a crowd. It gets crowded, but never too crowded that you have to wait long for a drink. It’s close enough to the trains that go to north or south Brooklyn, and it’s got Brooklyn prices.

Best Way to Spend $1.25 After Midnight: Insomnia Cookies
405 Amsterdam Ave. (betw.  W. 79th & 80th Sts.), www.insomniaCookies.com
Step aside Mark Zuckerberg—the undergrads who created Insomnia Cookies are geniuses. A mere $1.25 gets you your choice from their warm mint chocolate, double chocolate, peanut butter or snickerdoodle cookies, to name a few. For a little bit more you can indulge in an ice cream sandwich, deluxe cookie or a glass of milk. And these whizzes are baking masterpieces to the tune of The Grateful Dead or Bob Marley until 2 a.m. So whether you’re studying hard or partying harder, this is the place to go for that late- night sugar craving. Too drunk or lazy to leave the house? They deliver, too! Genius.

Best Filipino Tapas: Kuma Inn
113 Ludlow St., 2nd Fl. (betw. Delancey & Rivington Sts.),
www.kumainn.com
If you’re looking for some sweet sangria, salty fried cod and fluffy yellow tortas—don’t come to Kuma Inn. But if you’re looking for some of the best Asian-inspired cuisine served up on dishes too big to be dim sum and too small to be entrées, check out the best Filipino tapas this side of the LES. Packed in a hustle-and-bustle space right by Delancey Street, the service is like the food: fast and good. Personal favorite: the eastern omelette—Chinese sausage, scallions and bean sprouts. Second personal favorite: their awesome BYOB policy. Great for a date. Best for a party.

Best Secret Part of Paris in New York City: Ansonia Hotel
2109 Broadway (at W. 74th St.),
212-721-0076
It’s really hard to divulge the location of this charming French patisserie tucked into the Ansonia Hotel—what if it becomes swamped and loses its sweet, secret allure? So you’re on your own when it comes to finding the doorway. With a narrow corridor of eight marble tables with two chairs each, this place is perfect for trysting lovers or longtime friends who want a quiet place to stare soulfully or just catch up. Even long-married couples will enjoy ignoring each other behind separate sections of the New York Times. But it’s not just the venue that attracts, it’s the victuals, like the excellent tuna salad and brie sandwiches or the hearty vegetarian soups like lentil or creamy mushroom. Of course, most people come for the baked goods. Some favor the coconut or almond croissants, while others crave the flaky layered Napoleons. Almost everyone agrees the coffee is “so-so,” but c’est la vie.

Best Inexpensive, Unpretentious, Three-Hour Meal: La Belle
973 Columbus AvE. (betw. 107th & 108th Sts.), 212-866-2355
Sharn, the jack-of-all-trades owner/maitre d’/waiter/chef, will take care of you just right. So what if he wears a Yankees cap and baggy jeans? With service this friendly, you’ll forget you’re in the heart of New York City. Just be sure to bring a few bottles of wine (the restaurant is BYOB), soak in the eclectic collection of classical figurines and antique clocks and be prepared to unwind from a long day while Sharn perfects the meal in a kitchen smaller than your grandmother’s.

Best Ukrainian Home Cooking: Ukrainian East  Village  Restaurant
140 2nd Ave. (betw. 8th & 9th Sts.), 212-614-3283
While the East Village is no longer the Ukrainian-centric neighborhood it once was, the cultural footprint remains, especially in the cuisine department.  One of the best and most authentic spots to hit for your pierogi fix is called, simply, The Ukrainian East Village Restaurant. Foregoing the slickness (and inflated prices) of Veselka, The Ukrainian is unassumingly tucked away inside a strange-looking office building, at the end of a hall that looks like something out of a DMV. But once inside, it’s like you took a trip back in time to grandma’s house, if grandma lived in Kiev circa 1930.  The usual suspects are the stars of the show here. Pierogi, blintzes, chicken Kiev and kasha varnishkes with mushroom gravy are the must-haves. And if you eat too much, don’t worry. You can always go have a shvitz around the corner at the Russian and Turkish baths afterwards.

Best Mars Bar Replacement: Sophie’s
507 E. 5th St. (betw. Aves. A & B),
212-228-5680
When the Bowery’s beloved—and infamous—haunt Mars Bar finally closed in August, the question on its regulars’ lips was, “Where can we go now?” Every year, the East Village sheds a few more dive bars only to add several more upscale speakeasies with velvet ropes and fancy cocktails. One option that kept coming up was Sophie’s, a nondescript watering hole on E. 5th Street between avenues A and B. Luckily for Sophie’s gentler bar staff, not every Mars ex-regular heeded the call, but there’s no question that—excepting weekend nights, when NYU flocks have been thicker on the ground lately—even the grizzliest Bowery type will feel comfortable bellying up to Sophie’s bar for its generous pours and static prices. While the jukebox isn’t quite as provincially exceptional as Mars’ (what juke could be?) it’s filled with old East Village anthems from the likes of the New York Dolls, the Velvets and David Bowie. And extra points for its well-kept pool table.

Best Hole-in-the-Wall Pakistani/Indian Food: Sirtaj
36 W 26th St. (betw. Broadway and 6th Ave.), 212-989-3766
For tasty Pakistani/Indian food, this is it! Inside it’s bare and funky and a bit dingy, but the food is consistently fresh, with some dishes as good as pricier places around the city. Try the chicken tandoori, chicken saag, navratan curry, or the chicken makhni—and don’t forget the naan. Deliveries can be slow at lunchtime because the neighborhood knows it’s a gem. Oh, and the prices are so low you’ll think they’re typos.

Best Macarons: Ladurée
864 Madison Ave. (betw. 70th & 71st Sts.), 646-558-3157
The mother of all Parisian macaron shops, the centuries-old Ladurée went international in 2011 with the opening of their first New York City location. Lest you think they would leave anything to chance, the macarons are flown in every day from France. At $2.70 apiece, the patisserie’s small, sugary confections are as much a price indulgence as they are a caloric one—not that you’d know it by the line that consistently forms outside the diminutive shop. Why? Because when it comes to macarons, none are as crumb-licking worthy as these. Also stocked in the shop are chocolates, pastries, sorbets and the brand’s collection of candles along with limited edition boxes (think orange/passion fruit macarons in a black box with gold trim for Halloween). Just remember, buy Ladurée’s macarons with caution—once you pop one, it’s hard to stop.

Best Restaurant Headed by a Top Chef: Catch
21 9th Ave. (betw. Little W. 12th & 13th Sts.), 212-392-5978
Restaurants run by former Top Chef contestants are a dime a dozen, and that’s not always a good thing—when was the last time you heard someone say they went to the Mondrian SoHo for the food? One sure fire bet amidst the mixed bag, however, is Catch. The latest venture from the owners of, among others, Abe & Arthur’s, Lexington Brass and Tenjune, the multilevel space dishes out seafood prepared by Top Chef winner Hung Huynh (formerly the executive chef at Ajna Bar), most of which is designed to be shared. Eats are prepared in several parts of the restaurant, including the raw bar, the open-air kitchen and by the central wood-burning oven (yes, the place is as big as it sounds). The sprawling eatery also boasts a sushi bar, a tapas station, a cocktail bar and a glass-enclosed rooftop lounge. Flavors are big—and so are the prices—so reach for your LBD and sky-high pumps and prepare to be pleasantly surprised by food that’s as good as the setting it’s served in.

Best Place for Breakfast 24/7: Veselka
144 2nd Ave. (at 9th St.),
www.veselka.com

Photo by Flickr user Food of the Future

Time was that one of the only restaurants where you could get a decent brunch in the East Village was Veselka, which has served just about the same fare—Ukrainian “soul food”—in the same location since the mid-’50s. What with seemingly several faddish new venues offering brunch popping up every year just skipping distance from Saint Marks Place, though, those days are long gone. It’s a testament to Veselka’s staying power that crowds still line up weekend afternoons for its breakfast standbys—buckwheat pancakes, thick strips of bacon, granola and its famous kielbasa—as if it was the only show in town. But the old eatery’s main appeal to neighborhood residents is simple: a 24-hour breakfast menu.

Best Place to Take Your Kids and Let Your Rainbow Flag Fly: Café Forant
449 W. 51st St. (betw. 9th & 10th Aves.), www.cafeforant.com
Most former fag hags eventually marry and breed, but that doesn’t mean we leave our fab BFFs behind. If you’re stymied about where to take your 3-year-old and your own personal Stanford Blatch to brunch, hit the best-kept secret in Hell’s Kitchen. Chef Lea Forant serves up organic, postmodern interpretations of comfort food along with Parisian fare tony enough to elicit an “ahhh” from even the most jaded Isaac Mizrahi wannabe. Expect her wife Carolyn to introduce their son Eli and their terrier Jack, and don’t be surprised if the cabaret-star-cum-waitress belts out a show tune or two by the time you’re toasting with barista-worthy coffee drinks and house-made lavender lemonade.

Best East Village Underdog: Ray’s Candy Store
113 Ave. A (at 7th st.), 917-340-7855
This East Village institution, which opened in 1974, has survived recent run-ins with the city’s Department of Health and the neighborhood’s gentrification. Owner Ray Alvarez got a boost last year from his neighbors, who organized a fundraiser to help pay the space’s $3,000-per-month rent. Ray’s offerings include Belgian fries, milkshakes, burgers and egg creams, and it has become an icon of the area. In October, the artist Chico painted a tribute on Ray’s awning for Bob Arihood, an East Village photographer and blogger who recently passed away. Arihood’s portrait faces Alvarez’s, along with the motto “Truth, Justice and the Comics.” It’s not the first time the eatery has paid tribute—during the last presidential election, items were “Obamafied,” adding the candidate’s name to form “Obama coffee” and “Obama burgers.” No word yet if Ray’s will do the same next year.

Best Place for a Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea: Tea & Sympathy
108-110 Greenwich Ave. (betw. 7th & 8th Aves.), 212-989-9735
On most days at Tea & Sympathy, you will find troops of English girls in floral flocks navigating a small room, delivering steaming pots of tea to patrons squeezed into tiny tables. The digs might be cozy, but the blends are unbeatable. Opt for the Rosie Lee and the “afternoon tea” for one, which includes a tower of perfectly cut tea sandwiches (the cucumber, chicken salad and egg salad are the best), crumbly scones with clotted cream and jam and toothache-inducing cakes. With mismatched china, floral tablecloths, colorful teapots and an eclectic clientele, it is quintessentially English and therefore a bit mad.

Best Hotel Bar for Work or Play: Paramount Bar in The Paramount Hotel
235 W. 46th St. (betw. Broadway & 8th Ave.), 212-827-4134
There’s no lack of drinking establishments in Midtown, but if you’re looking for a place you could bring a client and perhaps have a special someone meet you there an hour later, well, there aren’t too many spots that fit the bill. Enter Paramount Bar. Open since April, this sliver of a space in the lobby of The Paramount Hotel is easy to miss (a friend recently bypassed the space and emailed us grumpily from a seat in the lobby, proclaiming there was no such bar in the hotel) but worth finding. Expertly made cocktails are served in a chic, calm room either at the bar or by a helpful if unobtrusive staff. Seasonal concoctions like the Dark and Stormy come and go, but there’s a solid menu of standbys and a helpful bar staff willing to whip up whatever you need. A small but sturdy wine list is also available. The only thing missing is a menu of small bites, considering that once you enter the bar, it’s unlikely you’ll want to leave for dinner.

Best Restaurant Headed by a Top Chef: Catch
21 9th Ave. (betw. Little W. 12th & 13th Sts.), 212-392-5978
Restaurants run by former Top Chef contestants are a dime a dozen, and that’s not always a good thing—when was the last time you heard someone say they went to the Mondrian SoHo for the food? One sure fire bet amidst the mixed bag, however, is Catch. The latest venture from the owners of, among others, Abe & Arthur’s, Lexington Brass and Tenjune, the multilevel space dishes out seafood prepared by Top Chef winner Hung Huynh (formerly the executive chef at Ajna Bar), most of which is designed to be shared. Eats are prepared in several parts of the restaurant, including the raw bar, the open-air kitchen and by the central wood-burning oven (yes, the place is as big as it sounds). The sprawling eatery also boasts a sushi bar, a tapas station, a cocktail bar and a glass-enclosed rooftop lounge. Flavors are big—and so are the prices—so reach for your LBD and sky-high pumps and prepare to be pleasantly surprised by food that’s as good as the setting it’s served in.

Best Block for Old-School Food Shops: Bleecker Street betw. 7th & 6th Aves.
On Bleecker Street, you’ll feel as if you dropped back in time or took a trip to Europe as you wander from one tiny food shop to another—no mega stores here. Make a list or be inspired by what is fresh and cook up a storm. Start near Seventh Avenue at Ottomanelli, where fourth-generation butchers really know their meat, from quail to rabbits and the best fresh turkeys in town. Cross to Faicco’s, where for over 60 years brothers have sold everything to concoct the perfect Italian feast: mozzarella, sausages and marinara sauce made fresh. Waddle a few doors down to Murray’s Cheese, only around for a couple of decades, and sample from over 250 different aromatic, creamy or pungent varieties. Luckily, there’s a bench out front where you can sit and look at the cakes in Rocco’s Pasticceria. If you cross the street and open the door, the aroma of anise and butter will seduce you. There is a green grocer at either end of the street, so you can find a veggie or two to round out your feast.

Photo by Flickr user star5112

Best Deep-Fried Hot Dog: Crif Dogs
113 Saint Marks Pl # 2 (betw. 1st Ave. & Ave. A), 212-614-2728
Whether you call them hot dogs, frankfurters or some kind of wurst, bun-wrapped, tube-shaped meats are hardly ever something to write home about, forget about line up for—and deal with tip-hounding moonlighting college kids—at 2 a.m. But whether you get one of their bacon-wrapped Tsunami dogs or a grilled, “cooked to order” (read: prepare to wait) veggie specials, Crif Dogs’ franks are indeed worthy of their good press. And for a graduate course in patience, you might want to queue up to wash your dog down with one of the elegantly mixed cocktails served at the “secret” next-door speakeasy, PDT (Please Don’t Tell). But for that, really be prepared to wait because, as every concierge and tourist guidebook will tell you, “Psst…the entrance is through the phone booth.”

Food-wise, the actual pizzas remain true to the Neapolitan style and were some of the best I have tried in the city. The trick, says Cilio, is in the oven and in the ingredients, most of which he imports straight from the source. You can really taste the difference in the caprese salad ($8.50), a beautifully plated dish of bright red and yellow tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and perfect, light wedges of fresh Buffalo mozzarella. The insalata ($14) comes with their special house-made burrata, a creamy orb, oozing with milk and silky smooth, which pairs winningly with artistic triangles of watermelon, buttery sprigs of mache, or lamb’s lettuce, and tomato to create a salty-sweet palette that combines crunchy with supple textures.

We started the night with a bottle of white lambrusco ($9 a glass, $33 a bottle), a rounder, fuller bubbly than your basic prosecco. This went well with the prosciutto crudo con fichi ($9), a plate of 18-month cured meat with black mission figs and salty shaved Parmigianino Reggiano. It also complemented the tartara di tonno ($11.50), a dish that really surprised me as the espresso-sized mound of yellowfin tuna tartar melded wonderfully with diced, wood-fired, roasted tomato, giving the raw, fresh fish a smoky tinge. Off the bar menu, we sampled the bruschetta con burrata e tartufo ($9), an airy crostini made with pizza dough bread and topped with cheese and black truffle pesto that pleasantly overrode my umami senses with each nibble.

These bites proved great, but the pizzas are the real stars. On one balmy evening, I headed down to PizzArte to meet Cilio and sample his favorite pies. First on the list: the verace ($19), a classic combo of San Marzano tomatoes, Buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil. With the first chew, I knew Cilio and his team of Italian chefs were on the right track. The dough had the proper tinge of sweetness to it, a nice char on the top of the pliable crust, and the dough holding the ingredients proved thin, with just enough thickness to secure the toppings. Fantastico.

Another aspect that shouldn’t be missed: the extensive list of affordable Italian wines. A bottle of the dark, berrytinged ’06 Produttori del Barbaresco ($55) paired nicely with the pizzas, like the diavola ($16). This pie created a completely different flavor sensation than the verace. Where the latter came out light and sweet, the diavola had a kick from thin strips of spicy salame. It maintained a brightness from the tomatoes but contained a heartier mouthfeel. Their namesake, the PizzaArte ($21), also leans on the savory side with meaty bits of speck thrown in with zucchini blossoms. The main difference with this pie is the use of burrata cheese and no tomato, leaving the dish a bit denser. I had my doubts about the tartufata ($23) because of the Gorgonzola. I would love to love that cheese, but I have found few that agree with my taste buds. However, on this pizza, mixed with pulverized walnuts, mozzarella and black truffle, the Gorgonzola sang, and for a moment I understood what the fuss was about. More of a dessert pizza, the dish came out sweet, savory and bursting with earthy goodness, a combo I can’t recommend enough.

For dessert, I adored the martini glass filled with fluffy, coffee-tinged tiramisu ($9), a not-too-sweet treat that balanced nicely with the fruity Brachetto D’Acqui ($10 a glass). In the end, what makes PizzArte work can be found in the pure joy and enthusiasm Cilio puts into his restaurant. A lawyer by day, he spends every night here, eating the food, talking to customers and really being a part of the business. When you talk to him, his excitement over his goods shines through, and with each bite and sip of wine, you can tell he feels at home and wants to share that comfort with his guests.

>> PizzArte

69 W. 55th St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.),

www.pizzarteny.com.

“I’m in Park Slope,” my son said when I called to assess his after-school whereabouts.

“What are you doing there?”

“Hanging.”

“What are you eating?”

“A slice.”

Photo by: Daniel S. Burnstein

“He went all the way… to Brooklyn… to eat pizza?” my daughter asked, incredulous. But anyone with a teenage son knows that pizza and “hanging” go together like mozzarella and tomatoes. And those ingredients are about the only ones you’ll likely find on a teenager’s slice, whether it’s from Pino’s in Park Slope or Coronet on my corner.

While I appreciate a plain pie, I also like a grown-up pizza, with grown-up toppings. That’s what you’ll find in Two Boots, now, happily, on the Upper West Side. I ordered The Bella ($3.75), named for hat-wearing Congresswoman Bella Abzug. It is slathered with spinach/artichoke dip and cream cheese—the kind of dip you’d avoid in a hollowed out bread bowl, but which is luscious on top of the sturdy, crunchy crust and when freshened with chopped jalapeño and a sprinkling of cayenne. Another adult-rated choice is the Bayou Beast, which features BBQ shrimp, crawfish and andouille sausage.

With its adventurous pies and ’60s-themed folk art and music, Two Boots appeals to food-obsessed Boomers, but it’s teen friendly-too: $2.50 for a plain slice/soda from 12-5.

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Two Boots
2547 Broadway (at 95th St.)
212-280-2668
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Got a snack attack to share?
Contact NBrand@aol.com

Diners can happily fill up on appetizers at Angelina Pizza Bar, near West 105th Street. Photo by Linnea Covington

Not bad for the first week. While it’s obvious the restaurant still has kinks to work out and more staff to train (Angelina only opened in early July), so far they appear to have things together. By 7 p.m. on a Friday, most of the 20-odd tables, inside and out, were full of families and neighborhood people chowing down on large, steaming bowls of penne primavera ($12), spaghetti con polpettine (tiny meatballs) ($12), pizzas and hearty bowls of soup ($6).

My companion and I opted to start out with an antipasti plate laden with prosciutto, sopressata, artichoke, vidalia onions, tomato salad, portabella mushrooms, parmigianino and gorgonzola. Yes, there are even more options from which to choose. The presentation of the dish was superb and the portions more then generous. We both enjoyed the meats and cheese immensely, especially slathering the placid gorgonzola over the warm, toasted bread sticks. Where the meat prevailed, though, the vegetables tasted bland. In between bites, we sipped a mildly spicy Monte Degli Angeli Pinot Noir ($7.50 a glass, $26 for a bottle).

For two people, the medio antipasti proved quite satisfying. Too satisfying, perhaps, since already we felt full and still had pizza coming. On recommendation from our waiter, we ordered the Verde ($14 or $20) and the meatball ($14 or $20) pizzas. Both are made on a super thin crust (you can also get a thicker, “old fashioned” crust). From the carefully cultivated wine list created by Joseph Sangiovanni, we paired our meal with a glass of the rustic and fruity Primitivo di Salento ($8 for a glass or $30 for a bottle).

When the meatball pizza came out, I was surprised at how little of the handmade meatballs actually graced our pie. I imagine meatballs to be big, hunking things, so I was disappointed to see tiny piles of ground beef scattered superfluously on the pizza instead. After the first bite, though, any reservations I had were diminished. The flavorful meat combined well with the sharp pecorino and thin tomato slices. While I savored its flavor, next time I would get the old fashioned crust since the oil from the cheese soaked right through, making it slightly soggy.

The next pie came out and where the meatballs seemed scant, this pizza had raw arugula piled high. It looked like a salad had been built on our pizza. We took our waiters advice and awkwardly drizzled balsamic on the leaves. It had a decent flavor, but raw greens on a hot pie just felt wrong. Underneath the foliage, we found a nice layer of baby spinach encased in melted mozzarella. Now that was good. I ended up shucking the arugula and finishing the pie sans salad.

After eating most of the pizzas, my companion and I swore we would never gorge again. But then dessert came. Forgoing the “build your own sundae” bar, we decided to try the tiramisu. A good call, as it was one of the best tiramisus I have ever had the pleasure of devouring. Dense and rich, each layer played a distinct flavor on my tongue, and even though I didn’t think it possible to eat any more, we finished the entire thing and were on the verge of licking the plate. In the end, although Angelina’s specialty is pizza, wine, appetizers and dessert can make a perfectly satisfying meal.
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Angelina Pizza Bar
2728 Broadway
212-932-1000
Entrees: $12 to $22

Carol Fass
Riverside Drive

Letters have been edited for clarity, style and brevity.

More dependable than the postman and almost as predictable as the tide, Malanga’s simple absence from the shop a few weeks ago was enough to cause concern. It wasn’t until June 1, however, that a three-by-five-inch scrap of paper confirmed what some had already dreaded: Sal Malanga, 76, had died.

Crowds gathered sporadically around the note, which featured a tiny picture of Sal. Many approached the note knowing full well what it said, mouthing things like “oh my God,” and “please no.” Others reached for their cell phones and called or texted friends with the news.

Sal Malanga learned to make pizzas from his mother growing up in Italy. Photo by David Wharton

Dan Blednick, 32, called his roommate, who’s been eating at the restaurant for years.

“She was pretty shaken up by it,” he said. “Sal was a very welcoming guy. He was a little hard to talk to sometimes—he was salty and hardworking—and it took a while to get him to open up. But they made the best pizza around. This is really sad.”

The man in the black and white houndstooth pants is gone. All that’s left is the memory of Malanga shuffling back and forth between his ancient cash register and his electric oven. He was certainly one of the only pizza makers who had the audacity to jab his arthritic thumb directly into the crust of your slice and hand you change in flour-covered greenbacks.

Born in Italy in a small farming town called Materdomini, Malanga learned to make pizzas from his mother. In a family that raised its own animals and vegetables, he learned the importance of fresh ingredients, a lesson he carried with him to the United States in 1955.

Malanga’s first New York shop, which he owned with his father, was on West 95th Street. He and his brother Carmine co-owned the second incarnation of the shop, seven blocks north of the original. For years, Malanga made the trip from New Jersey to the Upper West Side, taking the early shift and opening the shop at 10 a.m. every day. When he died, he left behind a wife, two children, one grandson and an indefatigable, relentless work ethic.

“I’m sure the first time I went there, the first time I met Sal, I was pushed in there in my stroller by my Grammy,” said David Dennis, 45, a lifelong resident of the Upper West Side. “They always say that for a business in New York, five years is a miracle, and 10 years is an institution. Sal managed two institutions in his lifetime—20 years at two different locations. He did it because he never changed. He never changed his hair, his English or how hard he worked. He did it his way.”

Even on the pizzeria’s darkest day—the day of Sal’s funeral—when the metal door covered the shop window, there was one hint that things wouldn’t change: a sign peaking out over the top of the door read, “Closed due to emergency. Will re-open tomorrow.”

Sure enough, the next day both Carmine and Luciano, Sal’s grandson, were behind the counter, tossing pies into the oven, and barking into the phone that of course they don’t deliver. They never have.

As usual, a steady stream of customers flowed in. As some teared up or looked down in disbelief, Luciano not only accepted their words and shook their hands but continued to bake pies.

“I’m glad that people care about him,” Luciano said as he tossed a slice into the oven. “It’s sad that he’s not here to keep everything together, but he wanted me to keep doing it.

“I don’t really know what else there is to say,” he added, turning to move toward the register. Then he stopped and looked back.

“I’m just glad he told me everything before he went. I’m glad I know what to do.”