Had a really lovely brunch at Pisticchi with family recently. We had a larger group and a toddler,…read moreso it was nice that we could be accommodated on a Saturday afternoon! The ambiance is adorable. Very cozy and warm! The service was prompt and friendly, and the food was absolutely delicious. Everything was portioned generously, and the prices were extremely reasonable! I enjoyed the roasted pumpkin salad with poached eggs added, and everyone loved the ouvo contadine dish. I recommend for a beautiful and filling meal if you're in Morningside Heights or adjacent to Columbia/East Harlem!

I came here for a holiday party last year and for brunch previously. Both times were very pleasant…read moreexperiences. The service was quick and friendly. The decor was very rustic and chic. Perfect for a date or a private party in their back space. The food was very pretty tasty, especially the coconut dessert that we got. Overall, I would recommend dining at Pisstici if you are looking for a cute dinner date spot or a group dinner with friends.

This is a local gem that is well worth the trek uptown. My Florentine friend, who just moved to…read moreNYC, recommended it and I was very impressed. He even spoke with the servers to study the wine selection before he chose one for us. The pizzas were considerably big for personal pie and I was happy. I got the diavola and my friend got the vongole. They also do gluten-free pizzas! *Make sure you leave space for dessert. We had the creme brulee and it was perfection! I think they have another restaurant in midtown, but I liked how cozy this one was. It was a warm and cozy spot for a winter's eve.

Plating tricks are the ugly truth about kitchens. The more they're practiced the more your food…read morewill be a facsimile of cooked cuisine and simply pre-prepped food instead. The contorni here are just that. It says roasted but the beets aren't, they're boiled and precooked and chopped at that from a plastic bag. No effort was made to make them taste any different than that either. The broccoli was similarly boiled and well, that's what they do in England but this is a restaurant calling itself Italian. The garlic was burnt and the boiled broccoli was smeared in vegetable oil -olive oil or butter would have been the possibilities for the pan but this broccoli was never in a pan. The lasagna which is normally a winner leaked a lot of water into a puddle on the plate and that happens when it's frozen but not fully thawed and reheat din a hot enough oven. The Riesling was a bit sour but the some of the others are undrinkable. A quar which in Europe would be 2 and a half glasses in a little pitcher is 1 and a third glasses in a curious tiny vase, so order two individual glasses because there are no savings on offer. Which is odd as wine is an inflation anomaly - a decent bottle runs 12 to 20 dollars at a wine store and did 20 years ago too. For the prices these cheap wines are very bad value though some of the reds are less disastrous. The pizza is great and I have no complaints about it but the word is out and the delivery guys are humming at the door through diner bumping into the back of your chair in a small huddle if as we were you are seated there. It's a descent going down at this nice little place. It is a bar that serves decent snacks, but can microwaving and shrinkfaltion be far off? One suspects not, unless they hire some sous chefs who took a 12 week course at a culinary school - but they won't. There's no chef here.

Intimate, family-friendly, great vibe! Pizza might be one of the best kept secrets-- best we've…read morehad i a long time. Staff was attentive, not overbearing. We were not rushed and it felt like a family dining room. If i could give it more stars, I would.

Came here with several friends last week and loved everything we had here! We ordered the focaccia…read moreappetizer to share, the bread was so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The tagliere plate had a great assortment of cheese and cured meats, and even had some spicy cheese. Pizza was also delicious, wood-fired with a soft crispy crust, but I also found it fell apart easily when picking it up. And the tiramisu was one of the best I've had, so light and yummy and not too sweet. Service was good as our waitress came to check in on us multiple times during the two hours we were there. Ambiance could be a tad loud when it's more crowded, but we were able to mostly hear each other without yelling. Overall, great experience here and would definitely come back.

Really welcomed this Lincoln Market supermarket on the geographic edge of my everyday shopping…read morerange. It offers a wide range of gourmet items you may not find nearby elsewhere, plus everyday items. Items that drive me to this store include their imported cheese selection (especially when they have French Brie on a great sale,) Michael's of Brooklyn Puttanesca, (my favorite jarred sauce,) smoked sable, and Miyoko's cheeses (especially the pourable liquid plant Mozzarella perfect for homemade pizza). Lincoln Market has a good range of produce, but there are also other grocers these days that offer comparable including at same or lower prices. (Note - There's Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Lidl, Target and Shop Fare are only a stone's throw away.) There's also fresh sushi. Their coffee and confection range is nice, too. Of special interest, Lincoln Market offers a range of prepared foods that may be of interest to some, but I'm one to more cook at home versus buying that stuff. That being said, it's well stocked and the staff I've asked for help have been extremely friendly - making Lincoln Market an enjoyable place to shop. One could easily make it a one-stop grocery shop, but again on many items found elsewhere locally you may find a better price.

I live two blocks from this store, When it opened, I did not expect much. I have been very…read morepleasantly surprised. They have a wide range of reasonably priced produce -- ranging from reliable collards and tomatillos to fancy mushrooms. They also have an unusually diverse selection of cheeses, meats and seafood. The deli counter makes excellent sandwiches and salads at prices below local norms (including a terrific store-cooked roast beef with lettuce and tomato for a mere $8). The guys who staff the deli counter are wonderful -- they even ask if you'd like salt and pepper on your sandwich! The rest of the store's staff is also pleasant and helpful. I'm a big fan.

Best Italian spot in the valley. A great spot for a relaxed, lowkey Italian meal without a…read morecompromise on quality. I've been in the neighborhood a while and regret not coming earlier. Well-rounded service, delicious food, wide range of wines, and American Italian ambiance. The space and patronage has a tame west village feel. Osteria 106 has a rare wide selection of wines. I don't come across Super Tuscans so often! Order: * Complementary bread (5/5) -- incredible. Oil dip featured a seasoned crumbly cheese bathed in olive oil. * super tuscan (5/5) * Artichoke fritter (5/5) -- I've never tried fried artichoke but this Osteria was a great spot to try. (The bowl is also edible! It's some deeply cooked cheese structure) * gnocchi (4/5) -- tasty but a tad mushy. * Eggplant rigatoni (4.5/5). Delicious. Would get again.

Guess who's back... back for a 3rd time! And, once again, Osteria 106 did not let me down. The…read morefood... the wine... the service. Everything was on target! We started the meal with appetizers -- the meatballs and fried artichokes. Both were super tasty! And, I didn't realize at first that the "bowl" the artichokes were served in was also editable -- I think maybe it was parmesan shaped into a bowl shape and baked! What an added surprise. You'll definitely want to tear into that bowl along with the yummy artichokes. As for mains, among the guests with me, we ordered the Seafood Pasta (Paccheri Alla Pescatora), the Veal Piccata, and Cavatelli with Sausage Ragu. And like the apps, these were all yummy! As for atmosphere, this restaurant is super small and perfect for a date night. But just be warned that it can be noisy (tall ceilings I guess make for poor acoustics). So your voice may be horse by the time you leave the place... but the food and overall experience makes up for the noise!

3/24- So happy we carved out time to visit this cozy Italian spot in Harlem. We didn't have a lot…read moreof time before closing and staff was still super welcoming. The restaurant was full on a Friday night and music flowing. Vibes! Our waiter did a great job highlighting different items on the menu. For starters, we ordered the baked little neck clams and fried mozzarella. Delicious and each item had a lovely texture. We submitted our main orders about 15 min later. My family ordered the penne funghi then added chicken breast. I ordered the margherita pizza. Everything was fantastic including my drink!! Looking forward to trying other authentic dishes in the near future.

My husband ordered gluten free pasta to go. Once we got home it was definitely NOT gluten free…read more Person taking the order didn't pay attention, so we called to let them know our $30 pasta order was wrong and she asked if I wanted to talk to the manager, so I said yes. I heard him say as she tried to give him the phone: "Are they on mute?" He never got on the phone, just told her to say, "they can reorder and pay for it but we won't refund them." I didn't ask for a refund. He could have said bring the pasta back and I'll give you the correct order. But the manager didn't even have the decency to say it himself. If the owner sees this, your manager isn't doing his job with helping or talking to customers. He's letting your hostess deal with his job. He's weak sauce and so is the $30 pasta I just threw away. So anyone who has an allergy or wants the order they asked for, TRIPLE CHECK this place. This review is about service not the food because I couldn't even eat it.

This place is super cute. A little bistro in Morningside Heights, not far from Teachers College…read more And they also have a little covered patio part of which is rainproof! Met a friend here, and we ended up talking for hours and they didn't kick us out. The soup of the day, asparagus, was very tasty and perfect for rainy weather. I got a glass of Nero d'Avola from their small selection of wines by the glass, and it was delicious once it opened up. My tagliatelle funghi in a cream sauce was a little heavy, but I might have expected that. Also their complementary bread was delicious as was the olive oil. I might have read it four stars, but the vibes and their letting us sit and catch up was great. I would happily come here again with a friend. Definitely doesn't feel corporate and the vibes are cozy!

Really love this corner neighborhood gem in Morningside heights just a quick walk from Columbia…read moreuniversity. They have a happy hour from 4 to 6 PM of pasta, dishes, wines, and Prosecco. Very reasonably priced for very well executed and delicious dishes. Our family of five enjoyed catching up together in a very comfortable table right next to the bar. You do have to ask for the bread which we did ask for with olive oil and black olive in it ;-) they gladly re-fresh. All the pastas are amazing, amazingly prepared, and we enjoyed four pastas and this salmon which was prepared with sautéed spinach and my husband enjoyed immensely. We ordered the special tricolor salad that was on the happy hour menu - had an orange and lemon tangy fresh dressing and two orders of meatballs that came with toasty crostini for the sauce. I wished it had a dollop of ricotta but it was delicious on its own. Ordered Burrata salad, fettuccine vodka with grilled chicken, squid ink, pasta with seafood and tomato. Fettuccine Bolognese and pasta with broccoli rabe & sausage I would be happy to have over and again! Homemade pasta - yes please always. The dining room is cozy but they also have a little terrace area and tables outside if you'd like along Amsterdam and we look forward to another return! Their desserts were delicious also - the tiramisu was perfectly proportioned and the chocolate They are open for breakfast lunch and dinner and Monday through Thursday happy hour is 4-6pm! recommend you go and enjoy this NOW!!

10/10 the servers were so nice! And the food really hit the spot after a long day. You can tell…read moreeveryone likes the place because of how many people were there.

So we finally made it to Cucina last night before we went to see 'Othello' in Marcus Garvey Park…read more We'd been to Babbalucci a few times, but despite having a decent vibe, the food was never as good as it could have been. Anyway...two years after it closed, we got to Cucina and I hafta admit, both the food and the vibes are solid. The bar scene is poppin', certainly during its extended Happy Hour (until 7PM). We started with glasses $8 Happy Hour wines and a few appetizers...artichoke oreganata, meatballs with whipped ricotta and roasted cauliflower...served with a frankly excellent Tuscan bread that was toasted just right...followed by a rigatoni Bolognese. Only the cauliflower fell flat...it was over cooked and kinda uninteresting. But the rest were all wonderful. I mean, surprisingly good! The meatballs and ricotta could be a meal by itself and the artichokes were perfectly cooked. And the Bolognese had the great depth of flavor you typically find in much more 'serious' Italian restaurants. So far everything sounds great...but I have a two notes... First off, the wine list needs a complete overhaul. I'm not expecting a book that would rival a Michelin Star joint, but for an Italian restaurant to not offer a single Sangiovese on their list is criminal. The list is all over the place...Argentina, California, France, Chile...TURKEY (even Turkish restaurants know Turkish wine sucks!!!)...but only two Italian reds...a Cabernet-heavy Super Tuscan and a middling Barolo by the bottle only. This place should have loaded with Chianti's and Montepulciano's and forget even looking at any other countries!!! But the much bigger issue is the sound level...here's the thing...the place is CRAZY loud!!! I mean, so loud that unless you scream at your table mate, you can't be heard! The two women at the table next to us stuck fingers in their ears at one point, then we knowingly looked over and started a convo about how damned noisy it was. And we weren't the only ones...a couple behind us left early because of the noise. Not a good look for a young restaurant. You've got brick walls, tile columns and accents and a bare ceiling...with zero sound deadening to minimize the noise. And that's a huge deal, cuz frankly, I won't return because of it. Despite what I said about the nice 'vibe', that all ends when the sound level makes it impossible to hear yourself, let alone the people you're dining with So Cucina...if you're listening...ramp up with wine program and knock down the sound level and I'll return. Until then...sadly...we'll be sticking with our regular spots...