NYC Italian Eats: Trattorias

Low-key meets high-impact: a look at our favorite neighborhood trattorias

Sure, even the most harried novice can figure out how to boil spaghetti. But serving a simple, well-prepared Italian meal? That takes talent and finesse. Luckily, our city is rich with superb Italian cooking, served in casual, affordable trattorias by chefs who both adhere to tradition and push the boundaries of eating Italiano.

Of New York's many trattorias, these are our favorites: unpretentious, reliable, local, hearty. House-cured meats. Simply prepared vegetables. Handmade pasta. Maybe a grilled or wood-fired chop. Think of these small-scale spots as the Goldilocks of eating-not too expensive, not too fancy and certainly not littered with Chianti bottles wrapped in straw. —Jane Lerner

Pictured: Countryside-style dining at Aurora in Williamsburg