A Voce
Visionary chef Miss Robbins leads her talented team at this acclaimed Italian restaurant on Madison Avenue. Robbins perfected her craft working at gourmet restaurants in northern Italy and spent five years as the top chef at Chicago's Spiaggia, one of the city's most renowned Italian restaurants. Regardless of her impressive résumé, Robbins' innovative food speaks for itself. Recipes from every region of Italy round out A Voce's fabulous menu, which includes fresh pasta prepared daily and savory imported meats from Italy's top producers. Start with veal sweetbreads with grilled artichoke, mint and lemon or grilled zucchini with Sicilian pistachios and fresh mozzarella. Then dive into any of A Voce's delectable primi and secondi plates, like wild boar with calabrian chiles and pecorino cheese or striped bass with chickpea puree. Average price for a main course is around $28 (as of 2009). A Voce also features open-air dining when weather permits.
A Voce
41 Madison Ave. (between 25th and 26th)
New York, NY 10010
(212) 545-8555
avocerestaurant.com
Lupa
World-renowned chef Mario Batali created this casual Roman trattoria in New York's Greenwich Village. Lupa features an extensive list of Italian wines and moderately priced Italian fare (average entree is around $20 as of 2009) served in a festive atmosphere. Less intimidating than some of Batali's upscale ventures, Lupa welcomes you with open arms and warms your heart with tasty homemade meals steeped in the culinary traditions of Rome. The food here is simply prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients available. Enjoy rich ricotta gnocchi with sausage and fennel, market fish with cucumber and wild greens, or classic spaghetti alla carbonara. Reservations are taken for back-room seating only, while the front half is first-come first-served.
Lupa
170 Thompson St. (between Bleecker and West Houston)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 982-5089
luparestaurant.com
Sosa Borella
This lively restaurant in New York's famed theater district blends Argentine and Italian cooking traditions to create a menu that's about as rich and hearty as you can get. Sosa Borella packs in hungry theater-goers with their delicious, affordable food and convivial atmosphere. Average price for a main course is around $17 (as of 2009). Sample Argentine favorites like beef empanadas or parrillada mixed grill for two. In addition, Sosa Borella serves up generous portions of fresh pasta, with mouth-watering recipes like agnolotti with lamb Bolognese topped with pecorino cheese. Service is attentive but pretty slow, so give yourself enough time to enjoy the meal before heading off to your Broadway show.
Sosa Borella
832 Eighth Ave. (between 50th and 51st)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 262-8282
sosaborella.com
Article Written By Charlie Higgins
Charlie Higgins is a writer, translator, editor and social-media consultant based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Originally from Connecticut, Higgins holds bachelor's degrees in media studies and music from Oberlin College. He currently works for the financial inclusion and microenterprise news website Microdinero.
