The saying “less is more” has perhaps never been truer than it is at Porchetta (110 E. 7th St.) and Porsena (21 E. 7th St.). At both East Village hot spots, Chef Sara Jenkins has built a cult following by keeping her menus tightly focused rather than trying to do it all. Crowds gather at Porchetta to savor one specific thing: slow-roasted pork (served in varying ways yet always the central focus of each dish). At Porsena, they come for perfectly cooked artisanal pasta.
Jenkins’s straightforward approach reflects a distinctly Italian state of mind, which makes sense, considering her upbringing around Tuscany and Rome. Mario Batali summed it up succinctly when he called her “one of the few chefs in America who understands Italy and how Italians eat."
“I think Italians in Italy eat with a certain fairness that Americans and Italian-Americans don’t have,” Jenkins said, asked about what prompted Batali’s praise. “An Italian is perfectly happy with a perfectly cooked artisanal spaghetti with great olive oil and chilies, while an American would want to add three or four [more] ingredients.”
When Jenkins isn’t working in her own kitchens, she can often be found exploring other rich, delicious, and straightforward flavors around the city. Here are a few of her favorites.
For Italian (outside of Porsena): “I eat at Cesare Casella’s place on the West Side, Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto (283 Amsterdam Ave.). He’s a Tuscan chef who’s been working in New York for many more years than I have. He’s very authentic.”
For gelato: “Il laboratio del gelato (188 Ludlow St.). They have traditional and nontraditional flavors.”
For espresso: “Abraço Espresso (86 E. 7th St.) on 7th Street. They are maniacal about making it right.”
For wine or cocktails: “I like to drink wine at Bar Veloce (175 2nd Ave.) on 2nd Avenue. It’s an Italian wine bar that’s been there more than 10 years. It’s not over the top, not pretentious or precious. Just a great wine selection in a nice space.”
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Italian Restaurants in Hoboken
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Napoli’s Brick Oven Pizza
Gourmet Pizza and Italian Food for Two or Four at Napoli's Brick Oven Pizza (Up to40% Off)
Gourmet pizzas slide from a brick oven and homemade sauces drape Italian entrees within a rustic pizzeria’s open kitchen
Hoboken
$30 $18
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Gilded frames circumscribe paintings of colorful vine-covered villas and ocean vistas. They also evoke the gilded pasta served at tables below them at Trattoria Saporito, a family-run Italian restaurant. Beneath bronze pressed-tin ceilings, plate after plate bedecked with veal parmigiana, housemade ravioli, and shrimp doused in lemon butter showcase the Old World flavors and techniques in the Gastone family's repertoire. They serve their creations in a dining room that is itself a narrow slice of Italy, with terra-cotta tiled floors, fully navigable water channels, and flat-screen TVs.
328 Washington St
Hoboken,
NJ
US
Napoli?s Neapolitan-style pizzas don't travel very far between the restaurant's custom-built brick oven and its tables, but the story behind these pies spans decades. In an earlier era, owner Frank Volpe worked hard inside his family?s restaurant, learning the ins and outs of dough preparation and Italian cooking. That restaurant: Lombardi?s Pizzeria, a NYC mainstay that Frank's forebears opened in 1905?the same year America ended its prohibition on tomato sauce. After mastering his craft and pulling pies from the family oven for a dozen years, he set out on his own and opened Napoli?s in 2007.
Frank's creativity shines through in his pizzas?which range from traditional favorites such as margherita and clam pies to more contemporary creations such as a buffalo chicken pie. He also rounds out his menu with familiar staples such as panini sandwiches and Italian pastas, and ends on a sweet note with dessert favorites such as cannoli and tiramisu.
1118 Washington St.
Hoboken,
NJ
US
Flickering faux candles on chandeliers and wall sconces give a melted glow to the eatery's yellow walls and open hearth. BYOB beverages and artisanal plates of cured meats and cheeses share table acreage with San Giuseppe's signature coal-fired pizzas topped with unique combinations of figs, butternut squash, and roasted artichoke hearts. Fresh pastas, including black linguine and pappardelle, tangle around fresh seafood and vegetables beneath blankets of homemade marinara, cream, and basil sauces. Guests can add a romantic touch to a date by requesting a signature heart-shaped pizza or propose with a diamond-ring-shaped pie.
1320 Adams St
Hoboken,
NJ
US