Caffe Falai

Caffe Falai, right near the intersection of Prince St. and Lafayette, is my favorite Italian place in New York City.  It is as close to actual Italian food as you can get on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.  I usually just order the Spaghetti al Pomodoro because it is so simple and yet so so so good.

spaghetti al pomodoro

Another new favorite is the cappelacci di caprino.  Are you ready for this?  Basically it is a plate of cappelacci with a red beets pure, hazelnut butter, swiss red chard, and pine nuts.  As for appetizers, I recommend the polipo (baby octopus with fingerling potatoes, fried capers, smoked paprika, black squid ink sauce) or the bufala (fresh buffalo mozzarella with roasted vegetables, lemon zest, and crotons).

polipo

This restaurant is the little bit more expensive ($20 to $50) but it is worth it.  The restaurant is adorable, the food is delicious, the Italians who work there are endearing (and supply you with endless bowls of homemade bread).  Heads up: they just finished expanding their restaurant and it looks like they are opening up a bakery next door. BE ALERT PEOPLE.  BE ALERT.