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Mangia!

Compiled by Linda Perney

February 15, 2006

Classic spaghetti and meatballs

The city's favorite foods often come with an Italian accent. Whether you crave Northern Italian or Sicilian; homey pastas or sophisticated entrees, there's a restaurant for you. Here are 10 places we love.

MANHATTAN

Barbuto. Uber-chef Jonathan Waxman's airy restaurant in the far west village brings the kitchen front and center. Big windows, comfortably spaced tables, a good bar all contrive to give the place a relaxed vibe. Expect to find a super pork chop, roast chicken, fish of the day, duck breast and, of course, pasta on a market-driven menu that changes just about every day. (775 Washington Street; 212-924-9700; expect to pay about $40 for a three-course dinner.)

Frank. This is what you do: You start with the mozzarella and tomatoes, then you have Grandma Carmela's rigatoni with "gravy." Or you can go for the meat loaf or the roast chicken with olives. This is homey Italian-American food served in a Lower East Side space that draws a crowd no matter the hour. What's best of all, if the place is too jammed, they'll pack your dinner up to go. (88 Second Avenue; 212-420-0202; expect to pay about $27 for dinner.)

Arqua. High-ceilinged and sunny, Arqua is one of the more serene spaces in Tribeca. Pastas -- with seafood, with duck, with wild mushrooms -- round out a menu that also includes a good selection of fish dishes as well as a classic roast chicken. Desserts are a fetish here, with house made sorbets and gelati as well as tiramisu and a cheesecake among the offerings. (281 Church Street; 212-334-1888; expect to pay between $40 and $55 for a three-course dinner.)

Da Umberto. It's not cheap, it's hard to get a table, and it can get pretty noisy. But the service is professional and the food is terrific. There are plenty of pastas, a good selection of appetizers, and main courses like rosemary-scented veal chop, zuppe di pesce, and duck breast. (107 West 17th Street; 212-989-0303; expect to pay about $65 for a three- course dinner.)

Gigino. If you're looking for a casual place with a welcoming vibe, Gigino is a good bet. Pizzas have a great following here, whether you go for the classic margherita or the tartufata, with grilled chicken and truffle oil. There are enough pastas to satisfy just about anyone, and then there are mains like veal chop, steak or chicken scallopini. They do takeout, and there's also a prix-fixe. (323 Greenwich Street; 212-431-1112; expect to pay between $28 and $45 for a three-course dinner.)

Trattoria dell'arte. Needless to say, they have a regular menu, which is nothing to sneeze at. But the real trick here is to construct a meal of the appetizers, which are plenty and varied. For a mere $22 you can put together a selection of five seafood dishes, which might include smoked salmon, octopus salad, or monkfish wrapped in prosciutto. For the same price, choose three seafood and four vegetable plates. Not so hungry? The small seafood selection of three dishes is $16. On the regular menu there are pizzas, pastas like pappardelli with duck breast, veal chop, and roast beef with porcini mushrooms. (900 Seventh Avenue; 212-245-9800; expect to pay between $40 and $55 if you order off the main menu.)

BROOKLYN

Al di La. She cooks, he runs the room at this candlelit Park Slope standby. The food gets raves from the regulars, which now include plenty of folks from that other borough across the river. Beet ravioli is a favorite, so is the braised rabbit. Now, if only they'd start taking reservations. (248 Fifth Avenue; 718-783-4565; expect to pay about $35 for dinner)

Bamonte. Williamsburg's favorite old-timey Italian has been around for more than a century, and there's a reason. The pastas, especially the lasagna, are emminently satisfying on a winter night, but don't overlook the ravioli, either. This is southern-Italian-by-way-of-Brooklyn cooking with a vengeance. (32 Withers Street; 718-384-8831; expect to pay about $30 for dinner)

Ferdinando's. A little bit off the beaten path, Ferdinando's is as authentic as it gets. The place -- which has been around for generations -- specializes in Sicilian cooking with a Brooklyn accent. You might want to skip the spleen rolls, but the pastas -- spaghetti with fennel, pine nuts, raisins, and sardines; penne puttanesca; spaghetti bolognese -- are not to be missed. (151 Union Street; 718-855-1545 ; expect to pay about $25 for dinner)

BRONX

Dominick's. If ever there was a reason to trek up to the Bronx, it's Arthur Avenue. And if ever there was a reason to go to Arthur Avenue, it's Dominick's, with its old-fashioned, soul-satisfying pastas. Don't expect a quiet dinner; the tables are shared and the place is busy. There aren't any menus; you tell the waiter what you want to eat, and he figures it out from there: one hint, though -- the seafood pasta is always a crowd pleaser. (2335 Arthur Avenue; 718-733-2807; expect to pay about $30 for dinner)

Note: prices are per person, without tip or wine.