The areas known as “Little Italy” abound in the United States from coast to coast. The individual locations are Italian-American enclaves established in cities where immigrants settled in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The food typically reflects this heritage, as well, with menus offering the staples inspired by the immigrant experience of Italians in America (you know: Chicken Parm, spaghetti with meatballs, shrimp scampi, cannolis). And while restaurants that cater to the regional or even pan-regional cooking of Italy exist in America, as well, there are no zones known for hosting clusters of cuisine inspired by la cucina italiana. An exception, though, is among the tree-lined auspices of Brooklyn’s South Slope, where a collection of distinguished neighborhood restaurants of refined Italian cuisine can be found within a matter of blocks, all in cozy, corner locations with seating indoors and out.
While there was no collective movement for this cluster in South Slope, the pastoral ambiance of the area does resemble Italian villages or even the unfettered quartieri of major cities, which makes it a unique area to visit and dine.
Flora's Baccalà alla cilentana.
Flora (pictured at top), a caffe/ristorante/alimentari, opened in April of 2018 on the sun-splashed corner of 8th Avenue and 11th Street. The ebullient young couple from Campania, Emiliano Cammardella and Rossella Episcopo, desired to share their region’s cooking with the city they fell in love with while working in New York after graduating from Italian universities. The space is full of natural light and minimal in design with a refurbished industrial motif accented by touches of wood, plants, and art. The cuisine leans heavily toward the Mediterranean coast, featuring Baccala alla Cilentana (cod with potatoes, tomatoes, olives, and aromatics) and Acquasale Cilentanza (a hard bread topped with tuna, tomatoes, basil, and capers), and Fusilli with Bottarga, lemon zest, and thyme. Inland delicacies include many fresh cheeses and meats with uniquely Italian eggs dishes offered during brunch.
Piccoli in South Slope.
Piccoli Trattoria, on 6th Avenue and 14th Street, offers from its piccola cucina, established in 2011, an extensive array of handcrafted pastas from the sea (black spaghetti with wild blue crab meat, scallion, lemon, and Calabrian chilli) and the land (toasted fennel seed bucatini with braised duck ragu and mushrooms) and the garden (butternut squash ravioli with mascarpone cheese and sage). There is also a risotto menu as well as carnivore-friendly secondi (pan-seared duck breast; porcini-rubbed pork chop) and vegetable contorni, all within the quaint confines under chandeliers hung from the ceiling of stamped tin tiles. The owner/chef, Andres Rodas, was born in Italy but raised in Argentina, and the simple cuisine of the highest quality ingredients is a tribute to his birthplace.
Laconda Mariella.
Locanda Mariella, through brick columns and sided by a canopy of maple trees on the corner of 6th Avenue and 12th Street, has offered traditional Italian fare, with modern touches, from around the peninsula since 2012. The charming eatery, overseen by owner Sal Husic and Executive Chef Clemente Castro, features exposed brick walls, a copper ceiling, and a seasonal menu with inventive salads (bitter greens with fennel and radish in an anchovy/pecorino dressing), appetizers (grilled octopus with zucchini in a mint vinaigrette), pastas (paccheri in a kale pesto), and meats (braised short ribs or pan-seared salmon) complimented by an equally extensive list of alternating daily specials for all courses (recent features include gnocchi with wild boar ragù or risotto with seared scallops in a red wine reduction).
Provini.
Provini on 8th Avenue and 13th Street is arguably the best known of the area's Italian dining options and part of the pioneering restaurant group that brought Italian cuisine to the area. Within the regal façade of dark wood framing large picture windows, the antique interior puts an industrial, funky twist on brasserie motifs of zinc, marble, and mirrors. Opened in 2008 by Sicilian Pietro Sclafani (who emigrated to Manhattan at age 5) and his American wife, Kristen Hallet, the menu features farm-to-table fare with flair and housemade pasta dishes ranging from a traditional bolognese to fresh clams. Housemade focaccia is provided to every table, and the carefully curated wine list is all organic and exclusive to women producers. The recently passed Mr. Sclafani and his wife introduced South Slope to Italian-centric fare in 2001 with the opening of Bar Toto (11th Street and 6th Avenue) and the more recent Ottava (8th Avenue and 12th Street), both offering an array of high-end pizzas, antipasti, panini and salads, brunch, signature cocktails and carefully selected wines. The collection of establishments serve as a legacy of South Slope’s Italian patriarchy.