Upper East Side Italian With a Four Pasta Tasting

Country style Italian cooking is the point here, with a dining room that leans warm, intimate, and a little boisterous. For more than three decades, the room has held onto a slower old school rhythm, with tables close enough to make passing plates part of the evening.

Start with the four pasta tasting set if the table wants range, then look toward baby octopus salad or veal pizzaiola. The kitchen can split normal sized portions, which suits a shared spread of truffle ravioli and fried zucchini flowers. Bear in mind that the room can get loud and expensive before gathering a group.

At 1382 1st Avenue, this is a sit down dinner with a social mood. Dinner service starts at 5 PM every day. The focus stays on classic execution, family style sharing, and the easy pleasure of letting one table carry several plates.