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Red-Sauce Italian American in the Theatre District


mtureck

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Well, I can tell you that the Theater District is not exactly a culinary hot spot for home cooking.  However, these are the places that I remember being "good enough", with the type of old stool red sauce menu that you're looking for:

Da Tommaso

Carmine's: (family style food meant for tourists/theater crowd, but actually pretty okay - one plate/3 people, that's why the prices are as they are)  

Now, if you want to go a little out of the area, there's Monte's. This place has been there forever and I'm always surprised that I like it as much I wind up liking it whenever I go.  And, also in the West Village, there's Piccolo Angolo which I've always liked.  Both places will try to upsell you but stick to what you like on the menu & it'll be exactly what you want.  Both are very easy to get to from the Theater District.

And, if you want to venture out of Manhattan, Parkside in Corona Queens is the place.

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Piccolo Angolo (washingtony)

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On 11/3/2016 at 3:24 PM, Steve R. said:

Well, I can tell you that the Theater District is not exactly a culinary hot spot for home cooking.  However, these are the places that I remember being "good enough", with the type of old stool red sauce menu that you're looking for:

Da Tommaso

Thanks folks...think I'll try Da Tommaso.

I'll let you know how it was...

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Da Tomasso (mtureck)

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20 hours ago, Rieux said:

I'd add Leo's Grandevous (totally hit or miss on food) in Hoboken and Emilia's on Arthur Ave in the Bronx to that old school list. 

These two are obviously not in the theater district.  If that is what I craved I'd rely on local guides or a local foodie such as Steve R, (who appears to be "old" enough himself) to recall when Italian restaurants virtually always meant "old school red sauce" as opposed to much more varied menus now.  Its certainly a distinction.

He recommends Parkside in Queens.  You can glance at that menu and see it carries many of those "old school" dishes. 

I grew up on that food.  On the other side of the river in Jersey in Essex County, where coincidentally a great American Yogi Berra lived and dined for probably 60 years.

(Parenthetically, when Yogi passed away his funeral procession drove from the Church to the burial grounds along the major commercial strip in the region to acknowledge the many restaurants he and his wife, family, and friends dined at.  They chose that route specifically to acknowledge the restaurants rather than the more convenient Rte 280.

Wow!!!  What an acknowledgement to part of his life.  When my father passed away we could have done the same thing, rather than take Rte 280 to a funeral grounds.  In fact that route and acknowledgement could have been taken by many of that time period, generation, and "place".  Dining at restaurants, and so often so many of the "old school red sauce Italian restaurants" in that hood. )  (one might call it a regional past time)

When I moved to DC I craved and searched far and wide for restaurants of similar ilk.  Couldn't find any.  Often on visits from my folks I/we would take them to Italian restaurants.  None matched that with which we were familiar...and my dad would be sure to let me know.  Had to agree with him.   It wasn't until the early 90's, shortly after Il Pizzico opened.that my parents acknowledged a restaurant that would meet their "old school Italian" expectations.  Of course Il Pizzico's menu has changed dramatically in the last 25 years, expanded, modernized, and its still good in my experience. 

Back to old school red sauce Italian in the NY area.  I wish I could make recommendations, but I can't.  I get up into that area a good bit, but for some reason I don't dine in those type restaurants enough, as others want to dine elsewhere.  Were I still living in that area though, and near where Yogi lived,(and where I grew up) I bet I could come up with more of those type restaurants that were worth suggesting than Steve R's ONE in Queens.  At least I hope so.  ;) (If I couldn't find 20 (Essex and Hudson) in the good to far better category I'd be surprised, shocked, and saddened)   In fact even more than in Essex County I suspect there would be a greater number in Hudson County where Leo's Grandevous is in Hoboken.  I bet Chowhounder's on the other side of the river from Steve R would have some similarly worthwhile choices.   

And finally, as long as I'm meandering all over the place I had one funny recollection vis a vis restaurants in the NYC area.  While virtually nobody from the NYC area would deem it worthwhile to dine in Jersey, there was one place near me that would attract diners from all over NY including Queens and Brooklyn, the Claremont Diner.

Despite the aged picture it had an enormous restaurant behind the diner and diner facade, and it amazingly included diners from all the NYC boroughs.  Quite remarkable considering it was Jersey.  ;)

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Oh, there are many red sauce places that are good throughout NYC.  I was just giving the ones I thought were best bang for the buck in the desired Theater District & adjacent areas that would be easy for the poster to get to.  Parkside & Piccolo Angelo are my own  favorite places to eat, with Monte's a nice choice as well. On the upper $$$ end there's still Il Mulino & the trendy Carbone (which is really good but, in my opinion, overkill).  In my own Bklyn neighborhood there is Queen, Marco Polo, Red Rose & more.... other Bklyn neighborhoods have quite a few others, including New Corner & Tomasso's in the Dyker Hts area & Bamonte's in Williamsburg.  In Queens, some folks still like Don Peppe (I never did).  Don't make me keep listing.

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On 11/17/2016 at 6:01 PM, Steve R. said:

Oh, there are many red sauce places that are good throughout NYC.  I was just giving the ones I thought were best bang for the buck in the desired Theater District & adjacent areas that would be easy for the poster to get to.  Parkside & Piccolo Angelo are my own  favorite places to eat, with Monte's a nice choice as well. On the upper $$$ end there's still Il Mulino & the trendy Carbone (which is really good but, in my opinion, overkill).  In my own Bklyn neighborhood there is Queen, Marco Polo, Red Rose & more.... other Bklyn neighborhoods have quite a few others, including New Corner & Tomasso's in the Dyker Hts area & Bamonte's in Williamsburg.  In Queens, some folks still like Don Peppe (I never did).  Don't make me keep listing.

Wow.  As a Washingtonian visiting NY and specifically related to that topic and  list I appreciate the effort.  Assuming I trust your tastes (and I do) I'd visit those places.   Thanks.  Were it technically possible above I'd "like" the post twice.   ;)   If I made it my business to spend more time in the Essex and Hudson County areas I'd work to replicate that list.  I have old friends there and know there are places with similar characteristics but sadly don't know which are which today. 

(crap.  I wish my dad and Yogi were still alive.  My dad could list them in a minute and somehow I believe Yogi could also.)

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