Top 5 Neighborhood Italian Restaurant Contenders

A number of ELE users commented, and rightly so, that all the places on my Best Italian restaurant list were all pretty damned pricey. So I thought I should take a stab at a list of potential top five neighborhood Italian restaurants. How do I define a neighborhood Italian restaurant?

A restaurant where you can eat two courses and a glass of wine and spend $25. Neighborhood restaurants that don't require as much of a financial commitment and advance planning. You might wait on line because in many cases these restaurants don't take reservations.

The trouble with most neighborhood Italian restaurants is that most often they serve food that is well-meaning but mediocre at best. That said, there are a number of wonderful neighborhood Italian restaurants sprinkled all over NY. The over-all experience at these neighborhood spots will not likely be as satisfying (service and space can often be lacking), but the food can be delicious.

Here is my list of contenders:

Anthony's: Park Slope

Bianca: Noho

Biricchino: Chelsea

Celeste: Upper West Side

Cono & Sons: Williamsburg

Da Andrea: West Village

Frankies 457 Spuntino: Carroll Gardens

Frankies Clinton St. Spuntino: Lower East Side

Franny's: Park Slope

Gennaro: Upper West Side

Il Bagatto: East Village

Inoteca: Lower East Side

Joe's of Avenue U: Gravesend, Brooklyn

Manducatis: Long Island City

Nick's: Upper East Side

Sapori D'Ischia: Woodside, Queens

Sette Medi: Morningside Heights

Tommaso's: Bensonhurst

Via Emilia: Flatiron District

Have I missed any?