Best Italian Restaurants and Food Markets in NYC

Award-Winning Italian-Inspired Cuisine in East Village: L'Apicio

Having also won the best meatball dish of NYC in 2012, L'Apicio is chef Gabe Thompson's Italian-Inspired eatery where you'll find "house-made pastas, smaller spuntini and piattino for sharing, and larger entrée plates, plus steak and branzino to eat family-style".

The award-winning spicy tenders pork balls are cradled in a slate of smooth and airy parmesan polenta served with bacon amatriciana sauce. A complex gentle balance of intense flavor that is also light and velvety with hints of smoky-ness.

The silky-smooth polenta dishes as well as the pasta and appetizers are all so expertly prepared that simply these starting dishes alone will make the night out at this joint very gratifying.

Inside, you’ll find a roomy lounge area to sip cocktails and have small bites, beautiful dark wood bar seats 12 high-tops, and private dining room that seats 35. On the drinks menu, half of the wine list consist of domestic label, (and why not? Americans are so interesting right now), craft beers - local and European varieties, as well as cocktails with meaningful names like Dirty Spicy Martini, Manhattan in the Fall and Cherry Bourbon Smash.

Unravel the Cappuccino Origins: Experience Art & Culture at NYC's Iconic Caffe Reggio in Greenwich Village

Step into the enchanting world of Caffe Reggio, the birthplace of cappuccino in NYC, and a magnet for bohemian creatives since 1927. Located in the heart of Greenwich Village, just steps from Washington Square Park, this timeless New York gem offers a unique fusion of art, culture, and relaxation. Whether you choose to savor a delectable treat at a cozy sidewalk table or admire the captivating artwork indoors, Caffe Reggio promises an unforgettable experience as you become part of its iconic legacy.

Motorino - Award Winning Pizza in NYC

In addition to the traditional varieties of marinara and Margherita pizza, Motorino offers a handful of more spirited pies, including one with cherry stone clams, and another with Brussels sprouts. (And while it has nothing to do with the quality of their pies, Motorino also happens to serve one of the best octopus appetizers in the city.)

Some spaces are cursed. Others are blessed. When Anthony Mangieri shuttered Una Pizza Napoletana at 349 East 12th St. and headed out to San Francisco, Mathieu Palombino took over the lease, renamed the space Motorino, and the East Village pizza scene hardly seemed to skip a beat since.

Now in addition to the East Village location, Motorino has made their award winning pies more available by expanding to 2 other locations in NYC (Soho and Williamsburg) as well as one in Hong Kong and Manila.

Best New York City Pizza - Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn

Unless you are already in the neighborhood, it's a hike getting to Di Fara Pizza, but it's well worth it when you're trekking to get America's best pizza.

Domenico DeMarco is sort of a local legend, having owned and operated Di Fara since 1964, hailed from Provincia di Caserta in Italy, he cooks up both New York and Sicilian-style pizza to hungry mob of New Yorkers and tourists willing to wait on long lines spilling out on to the side walks.

Using only "Top ingredients" in his pies and with some mentioning of crust trending slightly burnt but even with this, "it's is still a very good pizza" and when it's not,it's transcendent.

You'll get a better deal getting the whole pie rather than throwing down $5 on a slice and you want to understand why they are the best before you make the trip, check out the great video about Di Fara http://vimeo.com/16077855