Manhattan’s East Village is renowned for its vibrant history as a center of counterculture, the birthplace of punk, and the home of many influential artists, writers, musicians, and beatniks. While the area to the south around Mulberry Street is most famous as the borough’s Little Italy, there were also a significant number of Italians living in the East Village beginning in the late 19th century, according to Andrew Berman, Executive Director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.
“The Italian community in the East Village was most heavily concentrated along First Avenue, from what were the bocce courts on Houston Street to the Italian Labor Center on 14th Street, he explained. “It’s certainly an important part of the neighborhood’s history and the kind of ethnic smorgasbord that historically has been the Lower East Side.”
Very few businesses and landmarks from this Italian enclave in the East Village remain today. But the neighborhood is certainly a dining destination for lovers of cucina italiana, with a number of excellent Italian restaurants that have been established in more recent decades.
Check out the ones below next time you’re in the area if you haven’t already!
Breakfast at the bar is a ritual in Italy, and you can experience a delicious rendition of it at Tarallucci e Vino on First Avenue. All of the pastries—from cornetti filled with apricot jam or custard cream to bomboloni, the Italian equivalent of a doughnut without the hole, to flaky croissants and biscotti—are handmade in-house by talented baker Alessandro Fortini and his small team. The espresso and cappuccino are also top-notch, thanks to owner Luca Di Pietro’s passion for authentic Italian coffee culture (no caramel macchiatos on the menu here). Pass by again in the evening for an aperitivo with pinsa, a Roman-style flatbread, or to end your meal with tarallucci e vino, anise cookies and a glass of sweet wine.
Breakfast at Tarallucci e Vino
I had many wonderful meals at Gnocco after it opened almost 20 years ago, and I’m delighted to report it has only improved with age. The name comes from the golden, airy pillows of fried dough that Executive Chef Gian Luca Giovanetti grew up eating in Modena—and gnocco is a must-order any time you go. The warm, diamond-shaped puffs are served with Prosciutto di Parma, salame, and coppa, and the heavenly combination pairs perfectly with a glass of sparkling Lambrusco. Other standout dishes include the tortelli di zucca, stuffed with a mixture of pumpkin, crushed amaretti cookies, nutmeg, and Parmigiano, and maialino al latte, a slow-cooked pork shoulder so tender it practically melts in your mouth. Another reason to visit: The charming enclosed garden is open all year round.
Gnocco
As the name suggests, primi piatti, or pastas, take center stage at Bar Primi, opened by Chefs Andrew Carmellini and Sal Lamboglia in 2014. But don’t skip the excellent piccolini and antipasti—I always order the crostino topped with ricotta, hazelnuts, truffle honey, and fried rosemary, one of the most popular items on the menu. Simple pastas such as spaghetti pomodoro (in the cover picture) and linguine with garlic and bread crumbs are beautifully executed, and the twist on bucatini all’amatriciana made with lamb belly is incredibly rich and flavorful. Highlights on the brunch menu include pomodoro baked eggs, an ode to a dish that Lamboglia grew up with, and the Italian eggs benedict with Parma ham and tomato hollandaise.
Bar Primi's Ricotta Crostino (ph Noah Fecks)
A treasured East Village fixture since 1999, Il Posto Accanto is a cozy restaurant and wine bar owned by Chef Beatrice Tosti, originally from Rome, and her husband Julio Pena. “Because the space is so small, I can really shop at the farmers market like I’m shopping for a dinner party every day. I cook here the way I cook at home,” explains Tosti. Daily seasonal specials complement the fixed menu, which includes a number of dishes, such as tripe braised in tomato sauce and spaghettini with sea urchin, that Tosti has made since they opened. She jokes that her ricotta cavatelli with sausage, mushrooms, and peas in a truffle cream sauce are “‘crackatelli,’ because everyone is addicted to it.” Many of the customers are regulars, and while the neighborhood has definitely changed over the past 20 years, much has remained reassuringly the same at Il Posto Accanto.
Il Posto Accanto (ph Visko Hatfield)