Borough Vegetarian

Rubirosa - Great for Dinner and Even Better for Lunch!

Rubirosa is a popular, pizza-heavy eatery on downtown Manhattan's Nolita neighborhood.  I have been to Rubirosa for some packed-house, long-wait dinners, and have recently been back for a few much calmer (and still delicious) lunches.  On my most recent trip, I split with a friend both a pizza and the side of broccoli rabe - a great and affordable vegetarian lunch.

The arugula pizza was great - crisp crust, and lots of beautiful flavors from the salty cheese and sweeter balsamic and onions.  

The broccoli rabe was also cooked well (not tough as rabe can be) and well salted and seasoned with garlic.

So definitely consider checking out Rubirosa when it is a much calmer place during lunch time - and bring a friend to make it one of the better, affordable sit-down lunch options in an otherwise pricey area.

Rubirosa

235 Mulberry Street (btwn. Prince and Spring Streets)

Nolita/SoHo

Easily accessible via the B/D/F/M at Broadway/Lafayette, the 6 train at Spring, or the N/Q/R at Prince.

Franny's on Flatbush - New Space But Consistently Delicious Food

We love Franny’s on Flatbush for their soups, salads, pizzas and pastas (and desserts…so pretty much everything).  Almost everything we have had there over the years has been fantastic, with two notable drawbacks being its price and long wait times during peak eating times.  So while we would otherwise eat at Franny’s all the time, unfortunately our checkbooks and desire to not wait for hours (on weekends in particular) means that Franny’s is only an occasional treat.  

(White Pizza with Ricotta and Buffalo Mozzarella)

We recently checked out Franny’s new, larger space (which somehow has not made getting in easier at all) and thankfully for an early 6pm dinner on a Saturday with friends, we didn’t really have to wait that long.  Sadly though, the prices were still what they are, so departed with a significant dent in our wallets (though, granted a lot of those funds went to drinks).

(Pizza with Tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella)

The food was fantastic though.  We played it fairly safe with bruschettas, pizzas, and pastas, but everything was great.  The pizza crust was perfectly flavorful, the toppings slightly sweet and salty, and the pasta was cooked perfectly.  I sadly did not have a soup on this visit, but I once had a vegan kale and bread soup which was completely out of this world (and something I have dreamed about replicating at home).

(Remains of Perfectly Cooked Cacio e Pepe)

Franny's

348 Flatbush Avenue

Park Slope, Brooklyn

Accessible by several train lines, including the B/Q trains at 7th Avenue and the 2/3 at Grand Army Plaza

Totonno's - It's Wrong that So Much Excellent Pizza Can Found in Just One Borough

Totonno’s in Coney Island is pretty much the perfect pizza experience.  Its pies may not have the flavor complexity as their Brooklyn “neighbor” DiFara, but with tables not completely packed together, no wait if you time it right, and fresh and simple pies, Totonno’s is always an enjoyable, pinch-yourself-because-it’s-so-great meal.  

Where to start when describing the pie…the sauce is fresh and almost fruity, the cheese is mild and yet slightly salty as well, and the crust is perfect.  Crisp but still hearty and flavorful.  (I actually wrote this description while eating a Totonno’s pie recently, so I wouldn’t forget how great it is!)

And sadly, now I am going to share my secret to eating at Totonno’s without a long wait…but if this blog ever gets a lot of readers, I will probably remove this tip :-)  Get there before 1pm on a weekend day for lunch, and at least the several times we have gone - no matter which time of year - no wait.  Or maybe once there was a 5 minute wait.  Not sure why, but before 1pm has always been fine, but right at 1pm, the tide shifts and the lines start appearing.  Enjoy!

(So full, but just one more half slice…)

Totonno's

1524 Neptune Avenue

Coney Island, Brooklyn

Accessible via the D/F/N/Q trains at Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue

Borough Vegetarian Visits Staten Island for Great Italian Fare - Trattoria Romana

A family visit took us to Staten Island this fall, where we checked out of the borough’s highest rated Italian restaurants, Trattoria Romana in Dongan Hills.  

We arrived at the restaurant for a very late lunch (around 2 or 3pm) on a Saturday, and were able to get seated immediately at the sparsely populated restaurant. 

To start, we were given some complementary fried polenta cubes, which has a nice, simple flavor albeit being slightly too hard for my taste.

For our main course, we split two pizzas - an Arugula pizza (pictured above) and a Margherita pizza (pictured below).  Both had paper-thin crusts, and had a nice char from the brick oven.  The arugula pizza in particular was great, with shaved salty pecorino and fresh arugula complementing the crunchy crust.  

I also ordered a pasta dish, the Spaghetti Alla Siciliana, which I sadly did not picture because I dug into it too fast!  The dish had a fresh tomato sauce and eggplant chunks, which were cooked really well.  I was on the fence about ordering that dish versus others on the menu, but I think I made the right choice as it was a filling and satisfying meal.  

Finally, another great bonus from this large lunch - a ton of leftovers.  The pasta alone turned into an additional 2.5 meals over the following days.  Look forward to returning to Trattoria Romana in the future!

Trattoria Romana

1476 Hylan Blvd.

Dongan Hills, Staten Island

Accessible via the Staten Island Railway, between the Old Town and Dongan Hills stops

Long Island City’s Manducatis Rustica with a Queens Food Expert!

I had the pleasure of visiting Manducatis Rustica in Long Island City with a bona fide Queens food expert in late August.  Richard Mumith is a friend who I recently spotted in a local Queens paper for his amazing new company, Local Finds Queens Food Tours.  Local Finds Queens Food Tours launched this summer with history-heavy food tours in Long Island City, Queens.  

As a self-proclaimed Queens food aficionado, I was so happy to hear about Richard’s new business and to meet him at one of his tour stops, Manducatis Rustica, in Long Island City for lunch one day.  Unlike many Long Island City restaurants, Manducatis Rustica stems from Manducatis, a neighborhood mainstay since the 1970s, and is family-owned.  It is also distinguished by being run by one of the only female pizza makers in NYC (things you learn when you meet up with a local food and history expert!).

Given that Richard and I met for a weekday lunch, we decided to split one dish, which actually ended up being too much for both of us!  We ordered the massive $16 calzone, without meat, which featured olives, artichokes, ricotta, and mozzarella.  The sauce was perfectly sweet and the homemade dough was crisp and held up perfectly to the rich innards.

I definitely look forward to taking my in-laws to Manducatis Rustica in the future, and based on what I learned in lunch with Richard (pictured below), I highly recommend his tour company as well!

Manducatis Rustica

46-35 Vernon Blvd.

Long Island City, Queens

Easily accessible from the 7 train (Vernon-Jackson or Court Sq. stops), G train (21st-Jackson St), or E/M trains (Court Sq.).  For these trains, it’s their first stop in Queens, so very easy from Manhattan or north Brooklyn.

Another Day Trip Outside the City - the Amazing Bar in New Haven

I love New Haven.  I really do.  I have often remarked that if New Haven were closer to New York, I might actually live there and commute in every day (though let’s be honest, that probably wouldn’t happen).  

One of the key reasons I love New Haven is the many delicious food options there, with New Haven’s famed pizzerias leading the pack.  

(Slice from Bar)

I have been asked many times whether I have a favorite “apizza” in New Haven.  The short answer is no.  To be honest, I haven’t sampled all of the options within a close enough time period to each other to feel like I could accurately compare them.  And they are all so good - from Sally’s, Pepe’s and Modern to even the newer Bar - that I would go to any, without hesitation, in a heartbeat.

This post is devoted to Bar, the location least likely to have an insane wait and option conveniently located in downtown New Haven.  When I lived in downtown New Haven, I would eat at Bar weekly.  Another advantage Bar has compared to its older rivals is that it is also a brewery with several home-brewed options always on tap.

Bar’s apizza, like that of New Haven apizza generally, has a thin, dense and chewy crust compared to New York-style pies.  The cheese is also usually lighter in terms of quantity, and is served by the whole pie only on long baking sheets.  The pies can come with tomato sauce or not (white pizza) and can also be cheese-less.

I generally order my pies with tomato sauce and mozzarella.  The only variation to this default is when ordering the famous mashed potato topping at Bar, which definitely should be ordered on a white apizza for the best flavor.  (And yes, mashed potato on apizza is amazing!).  

New Haven apizza is definitely a must-try for anyone traveling near CT in any fashion.  From the dense, thin crust to the sauce to the light mozzarella pizza, it is really an amazing experience.

Bar New Haven

254 Crown Street

Downtown New Haven, CT

Italian Streak Continues with Don Antonio in Midtown Manhattan

My apparent run of blogging exclusively about Italian restaurants continues withDon Antonio, the bustling pizza-focused restaurant in Midtown (West) Manhattan.  

On my first trip to Don Antonio, I was shocked by not only how busy it was at 5pm on a weekday, but also how insanely large the menu is (similar to Keste, which shares the same owner).  My friend and I ultimately ordered two dishes that I would recommend, though only for those in the mood for a heavy meal.  Don Antonio is definitely not a light fare restaurant from my experience!

We started with the potato croquets, which as we should have guessed, were pretty rich fried fare, though tasty with the cheese/potato explosion inside the crust.

I then had the Pizza Del Papa, which had a butternut squash puree “sauce,” smoked buffalo mozzarella, and vegetables.  It was really interesting and the flavors did blend in a good, albeit unusual, way.  I could definitely see myself ordering this pie again, but after the first slice, I already felt full!  

I think I somehow ate another slice or two, but there were definitely a ton of toppings on each slice and a hearty crust, so I think these pizzas are definitely for sharing.  Sharing also makes sense given that each “speciality” pie is between $20 - $25 each.

Don Antonio

309 W. 50th Street (at 8th Avenue)

Midtown (West), Manhattan

Easily accessible from the C/E at 50th Street, and a longer walk (approx. 5 - 10 min) from the B/D/F/M at Rockefeller Center-47th/50th Streets

Lucali - Good Pizza, But Maybe (Maybe?) Not Worth the Wait

We finally went to the famed Lucali this winter, even though we’ve lived in Brooklyn for almost three years now.  I think the reason for our delayed visit is that the wonderful Giusseppina’s opened up a few neighborhoods closer to us awhile back.

Giusseppina’s is run by Chris Iacono, the brother of Lucali’s Mark Iacono, and when my uncle brought me some leftover Lucali pizza and calzone, it seemed to taste the same as Giusseppina’s.  Another benefit of Giusseppina’s is that it almost always has no wait (maybe 30 minutes on a weekend night) and they will call you when your table is ready if you go to a nearby bar.  

So, back to Lucali.  We went about 40 minutes before opening time on a Sunday night, and perhaps because it was cold and raining, we were able to get one of the last spots on the list for the first seating of the night.  When the restaurant opened it doors, our thawing bodies happily put in an order for a pizza with garlic, basil, and hot peppers, and a plain calzone.  

The pizza was definitely the highlight of the meal, though I’ll commit heresy by admitting that it wasn’t one of the best pies I have ever had.  The cheese was a bit too heavy and the dough was thicker and chewier than I would have liked.  That being said, it was certainly good.

The calzone was unfortunately a total disappointment though.  It was very thick with ricotta and frankly, more than a little bland and heavy.  Unlike Giusseppina’s calzone, which has far less filling and is well-complemented by a tangy sauce, this calzone just felt flat and a bit of a chore to eat.

So while I probably won’t return to Lucali, and will likely continue going to Guisseppina’s when we are in the neighborhood, it is certainly a place worth checking out if the you can avoid a multi-hour wait and are in Carroll Gardens.

Lucali

575 Henry Street

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

Accessible via the F/G subway trains at Carroll Street

Keste Pizza in Manhattan - Great Pizza in a Sit-Down Meal Setting

We went to Keste Pizza in Greenwich Village somewhat inadvertently for lunch a few months ago.  We had initially intended to go to another area restaurant, but unfortunately it turned out to be not as we expected, so while walking down the street with hungry tummies, we quickly decided on Keste.  I have read about how popular Keste is, and was very happy to find that we wouldn’t have to wait for a table on a Saturday.  

Keste specifically marks all of their vegetarian options on the menu, and we ordered a margherita pizza and their special calzone with rapini and mozzarella.  Both items were cooked well, had a flavorful dough, and were pretty enjoyable overall.  The service was also very attentive, while also being fairly informal.

While we will probably return to Keste in the future, the only thing that will keep us away from coming more frequently are the slightly high prices (e.g. $21 for the calzone).  Otherwise though, I would recommend the Keste and its several varied vegetarian options to those traveling to that part of Manhattan.

Keste Pizzeria

271 Bleecker Street

West Village, Manhattan

Easily accessible from the 1 subway train at Christopher Street, or the A/B/C/D/E/F/M trains at W. 4th Street

I Love Pizza - and Am So Lucky to Live Near a Great Neighborhood Pizza Place, Luigi’s in Brooklyn

As I’ve described in posts past, good pizza can be shockingly hard to find in NYC.  Although pizza places dot almost every commercial strip in the city, you’re more likely to find completely sub-standard pizza than actually good, you-want-to-go-back-anytime pizza restaurants.  

That’s even more reason why I feel so lucky to live relatively near Luigi’s Pizza in Sunset Park/South Slope/Park Slope, Brooklyn.  Luigi’s pizzas are consistently well made, no matter which type you try - regular, fresh mozzarella, square, etc.  Their square/Sicilian slices in particular have a wonderfully flavored dough, and their fresh mozzarella slices feature house-made basil sauce, which is a fantastic touch as well.  (And as someone allergic to nuts, thankfully the basil sauce is not a nut-based pesto!).  

I would highly recommend a trip to Luigi’s if you find yourself anywhere near the Park Slope, South Slope, Sunset Park, Gowanus, or Windsor Terrace neighborhoods.  Or frankly anywhere in Brooklyn and you don’t want to hazard a potential multi-hour wait at DiFara or Totonno’s.  

Luigi's Pizza

686 5th Avenue (btwn. 20th and 21st Street)

South Slope/Sunset Park/Park Slope, Brooklyn

Easily accessible from the D/N/R at 25th Street, or further walk (15 - 20 min.) from the 7th Avenue/9th Street F/G stop.