New York Italian Food Is Getting Weird (in a Good Way)

Regional Dining Discussions New York City
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https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/t-magazine/italian-food-restaurants-ny.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20240731&instance_id=130268&nl=the-morning&regi_id=69392103&segment_id=173675&te=1&user_id=4308806032ba073ba7b86cab90c0a5b7

Is it? Discuss.

Also, looks like the Onebox issue is baa-aack.

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I dont know about weird. Its just saturated to the point where chefs have to be more original, just like Korean, Chinese, Indian etc. There was a time when Cacio e Pepe was new and exciting, like other regional dishes. Now you are forced to differentiate yourself by trying to be cute.

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How sad. As if traditional Italian cuisine well executed wasn’t good or ‘exciting’ enough.

Oh, NYC :smile:

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Id find that more convincing if there were a lot of really good renditions of italian regional dishes. Don’t you KNOW when a dish feels Italian? Caveat my comment with - I dont spend a lot of time going to Italian restos here, - for better or worse, Ive been to more Italian restos in Italy than in 40+ years of living in NY. There is no reason for chefs to keep cooking cacio e pepe over and over again just as there is no reason for a place to limit itself to spaghetti and meatballs - there are thousands of italian recipes to explore. I think chefs just like to do their own riffs and show off their techniques and creativity- it not really about how the food tastes. If it were, they would be more humble. That being said, our own @FlemSnopes liked Daphnes, so maybe Im just too orthodox!

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Well, some of it is cute, like the Negroni jello. But some of it is just good, like Angie Mar’s sardine balls.

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I was about to say (but ran out of energy :wink: ) that we never really covered all the regions, or any regions at all really. If its not red sauce its “Northern Italian” whatever that means. There’s some that do Sicily (Sicily Osteria), Tuscan (Pistoia), Emilia Romagna (Rezdora) but they are few and other regions are totally neglected. You will rarely see one doing Piedmont or Liguria, even though they are arguably some of the best food regions (Piedmont at least). Something like Agnolotti del Plin is hard to make, but its also a matter of finding ingredients like Fassone beef.

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No Ligurian or Sardinian? :frowning:

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Not that I know, but there are some dishes here and there like Sardinian Malloreddus at Mercato and Ulivo.

Dont get me wrong. Our Italian scene overall is awesome these days.

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Nothing more than a neighborhood place, but its my neighborhood and its Sardinian: https://www.riverdelirestaurant.com/our-story
And, although it has a pretty diverse menu, Noodle Pudding’s owner is from Ischia and some of that comes thru in the fresh fish brought in regularly from the Jersey Shore (and some from Long Island). Lots of regional dishes here in my favorite place to hang and eat at the bar or take visitors. Again, in my neighborhood.

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River Deli has been on my want to go list for years - there is not too much on the menu though thats definitively Sardinian (the maloreddus) Most of the dishes seem to be generic italian or from other regions. Thats not to say its not a taste of italy rather than American if it made with an italian sensibility and moderation.

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sardine balls!? ick

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I’m allergic to fish, so this is personally a no go.

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They were terrific. But if you’re allergic to / hate fish, they’re not for you.

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Don Angie, not Angie Mar. Too many Angies!

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I’m hoping to check it out this fall — or at least some of it. I’ll be asking for recs :slight_smile:

Or a HO dinner.

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Any idea yet when you’ll be in NYC?

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Not at all. I’ll be Philly-based from Sept-mid Dec, so presumably some weekend(s) or evenings within that period :slight_smile: — but I’ll make sure peeps know about it well in advance.

I’m excited about being in Philly, but also about being much closer to NYC for a while :partying_face:

So. Many. Things. To. Eat. :pig_nose:

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Best Italian restaurant in NYC is Rao’s.

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I disagree. It is an Italian American restaurant which I am not that big a fan of. The lemon chicken was fine - not lemony enough. Pastas are fine. It’s about the exclusvity and ambiance. No one claims it to be the best Italian in the city. (Apart from you, of course!)

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Really? A red sauce I-A place nobody can get into? What are your favorite dishes there, and how does the place excel beyond the myriad of other I-A places?

I prefer regional Italian cuisines.

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