Italian is unquestionably Long Island’s favorite cuisine, and that is reflected in the longest single-category “best restaurants” list Newsday’s food critics publish. How else to do justice to the miles of pasta, tankers of olive oil and tons of Parmesan that delight and sustain us on a daily basis?
Even so, these 16 spots — four of them new to the list — represent a tiny fraction of the dependable trattorias, osterias and ristorantes that grace Nassau and Suffolk. We know you have a good Italian restaurant close to where you live; — our goal is to introduce you to that extraordinary eatery that justifies a longer drive. Our picks all honor the bedrock principles of Italian cuisine: great ingredients, simplicity and seasonality.
This year’s list tilts in favor of eateries that focus on the regional cuisines of Italy, but also includes those serving the related but distinctive Italian American repertoire that includes chicken Parmesan, stuffed artichokes, Caesar salad and penne alla vodka — dishes that, ironically, do not exist in the Old Country.
As always, the Feed Me team pays its own way and strives to dine anonymously when evaluating restaurants. And with that, buon appetito!
Newsday’s Andi Berlin and Marie Elena Martinez contributed to this story.
Dining and Cooking