Good Italian in Midtown/ Uptown

[pianoman11686]

Okay, I'm back looking for more restaurant recommendations. This time I could really use some advice on Italian restaurants in Midtown. If there's something really good on either the UES or UWS, I'd also consider it. I've read many reviews, and they all seem to be so inconsistent. So far, I've narrowed it down to these: Bice, Cesca, Fedilia, Osteria del Circo, and Fresco. Thanks in advance for all your input!

[ablarc]

Becco.

[kliq6]

another is San Pietro, across the street from Bice. Its very good

[pianoman11686]

Ablarc, I had actually discovered Becco during my search, as the owner is the same one who started Felidia. It looks every bit as promising as its more upscale cousin on 58th street, but I think I'd prefer the more upscale one for this occasion.

Kliq: I'll have to stop by San Pietro this week to check out the menu, but it can definitely have a spot on my list if you recommend it so strongly. As always, thanks for your replies. Finding restaurants in New York is easy, but actually choosing one can be much more difficult.

Also, any negative commentary on the ones I listed would be helpful in narrowing down my list.

[ablarc]

Really upscale, huh?

Look in Michelin.

[pianoman11686]

Haha, not that upscale. I'm not looking to go above $150 for a dinner for two. Any of those places (Jean Georges, Per Se, Le Bernardin) are more like $150 per person, at the minimum. But while we're on the topic of Michelin, have you actually read through the restaurants that received stars? I know this was the first year New York was included in the survey, but I still think it was under-represented. I'm consistently amazed at how many high end restaurants there are, and most of the time I'm not even looking below 34th street. At this point, the culinary stage in New York can only be matched (and in some cases exceeded) by Paris.

[Schadenfrau]

Bice is pretty mediocre.

[kliq6]

Also BICE is a very "euro" establishment

[pianoman11686]

Yes, I'm aware it's originally from Italy. Thanks for the heads-up, Schadenfrau. I had a sneaking suspicion it might not be worth the prices they're charging.

[ablarc]

San Domenico. Took me forever to remember its name. Classy and understated. Pastas to kill for, delicate and light.

[NYgirl3]

I recommended this to someone earlier, but I'd suggest going to neighborwork.com. They have lists of restaurants, and you can specify which area or what type of food you're looking for. I'm sure they have a ton of Italian restaurants. You can also just look at restaurants posted on member profiles or even search for cool people in your area and ask their opinions.. I'd definitely check it out..

[pianoman11686]

Believe me, I've looked at several websites like that, read tons of reviews, critiques, the whole bit. And I still could not make up my mind, there are just too many choices. Ultimately, I went with my gut feeling, and ended up making a reservation at Felidia.

[pianoman11686]

Well, I went to Felidia last night. It was a great choice - a true little gem of a restaurant. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy, upscale Italian restaurant in Manhattan. The food was really top notch, and well worth the tab.

[ablarc]

Well, I went to Felidia last night. It was a great choice - a true little gem of a restaurant. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy, upscale Italian restaurant in Manhattan. The food was really top notch, and well worth the tab.
Sounds good. Same owner --Lidia Bastianich-- as Becco.

What did you have?

[pianoman11686]

Split two appetizers to start off: a creamy lemon-garlic rock shrimp salad, which was incredible, and pear-pecorino ravioli, which was singlehandedly the best pasta dish I had ever tried. I could have filled up on those and been completely satisfied. Then I had, as a main course, some seared venison loin with wild mushrooms, which was perfectly cooked and served with a coffee-red wine sauce. To finish off, a chocolate-almond Caprese cake with homemade spice ice cream. Absolutely delectable. To top it off, the server gave us a complementary plate of little cookies and biscotti, which we were able to take home. It was $150, with a generous tip, for dinner for two. No wine, but a lot of food, and well worth it, in my opinion.