[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

The abundance of outdoor seating on Sixth Avenue, just below Bleecker Street, is the main draw for lunch at Scuderia. There may be better pasta at Po and Lupa just a few minutes walk in either direction, and the sandwiches are priced slightly high—but much of the food is delicious nonetheless. Seven solid panini ensure that there's something to please everyone.

All sandwiches are served with housemade paprika chips: extra-thin, well-fried, but in need of more salt. It's about the most paprika-rich chip you'll find. The Pesce Fritto ($13) is my favorite of the panini, pressed on extra-crusty bread; the interior is brushed with an excellent, pickle-y housemade tartar sauce. (Ask for extra sauce on the side.) White fish, lightly battered and fried, is tucked in the middle along with tomato slices. Not greasy in the least. Tuck a handful of paprika chips in the sandwich, and take a big bite—with the crunch of bread, hot fried fish melting into the tartar sauce, and tomatoes to cut though the richness, the only thing missing a few shakes of Tabasco!

Scuderia

257 6th Avenue, New York NY 10014 (map)
212-206-9111
scuderianyc.com