NYC Italian Eats: The New Guard

Scarpetta

The hottest haute-Italian in town, Scarpetta became an instant Meatpacking District destination (one where customers actually eat food, that is, and not just sip cocktails, though the 3,000-bottle cellar is its own draw). Award-winning chef Scott Conant, formerly of Alto and L'Impero, used the buzz and acclaim he gained there as a springboard to open opened Scarpetta in a townhouse on West 14th Street. Conant's masterful, straightforward cooking is worth braving the Meatpacking crowds, especially for simple, sublime dishes like fritto misto or spaghetti with tomato and basil, enjoyed in a chic, if but acoustically unpleasant, room.

Scarpetta
355 W. 14th St. near Ninth Ave.
212-691-0555