I’ve somehow gotten my partner to enjoy pasta a bit more. Some sacrifices have to be made such as looking for lasagna, but it’s worth it. I have to thank Tony Soprano and how he always made Italian sandwiches and pasta look so delicious. We had to stop by the pharmacy, and nearby was this incognito Italian wood fire pizza place. We were able to walk in without reservations on a Saturday evening around 5:30 PM.
Ambiance
They have a nice outdoor setup where it faces the East River with a nice clear view of the Empire State building and the Chrysler building. We sat indoors, and there weren’t much people in there. Where we sat, we could see without obstruction those same buildings as well. To the far corner of the room, you can see glimpses of the kitchen as well as the blocks of wood they use for the fire.
The service was fantastic. The wait staff was very attentive and easy to get ahold of. They kept our waters filled and constantly checked to see how we were doing.
Food
The Pinot Noir ($13 - left) came from northern Italy. This was pretty good and blended nicely with the pasta and pizza. There was nothing really out of the ordinary compared to other pinot noir wines I’ve had. I would say it was definitely not thick but very smooth.
The Purple Rain ($14 - right) came with vodka, triple sec, lime juice, blueberry puree, and dehydrated orange. My partner liked this a lot of course, as it was sweet and fruity.
The complimentary bread tasted like the dough that they use in the pizza, and it came with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s no Roberta’s, but it’s good.
The Di Carne ($19.95) pizza came with diced homemade meatballs, pepperoni, pancetta & sweet sausage. The pizza was pretty good for the price. We shared it as an appetizer. Of the three dishes we got tonight though, this was our least favorite which doesn’t really say much. We thought quantity wise, this is decently filling for two people who do not have big appetites. As you can tell, they did not shy from layering on meats on this pizza. The dough had a nice chew to it as well. It certainly doesn’t beat other pizzas I’ve had, but I was pleasantly surprised how tasty it was.
The Homemade Lasagna ($19.95) came with classic meat sauce, bechamel, mozzarella, and parmesan. The sauce surrounding the lasagna was a very thick tomato sauce that had some nice acid/tartness to the end of it. It definitely worked well with the lasagna. The lasagna itself did not have any uniqueness to it considering the ingredients, but it was pretty good.
The Veal Francese ($25.95) came with egg battered veal with lemon white wine sauce. The veal was flattened and tasted really good in this lemon white wine sauce. My partner said that the lemon white wine sauce was very lemony for them, but I really liked it because I generally like more acidic flavors. Now if only they had included some pasta with this, and it would’ve been a bang for the buck dish.
Final Verdict
Piatto is my definition of an Italian American restaurant where the food is good for the price. If you’re in the Long Island City area near the water, definitely check this out if you’re looking for something low-key and decent for the money.
Yelp Jabs
The fettuccine Alfredo wasn’t super tasteful with the chicken bits being very smelly cut
I feel like fettuccine alfredo is one of those pasta dishes (like spaghetti & meatballs) where everyone has their particular preferences. I can’t imagine what “super tasteful” means to this Elitist in this context.
Food was bland, atrocious prices (I spent the same amount of money on Monday at a Michelin-star restaurant as I did here), the menu was boring, and they weren’t child-friendly.
This review was probably written by a troll or a bot. Price wise, this person was moving goal posts poorly. I’ve been to a ton of Michelin restaurants in NYC, and you’re very likely going to spend less here unless you are ordering random expensive things. The drinks are $13 to $14, whereas most cocktails in Manhattan are going to be around $16 to $20. The menu is a little boring, but it’s a wood fire pizza place. I’m not sure what this person was expecting. Lastly, the restaurant is definitely child friendly. When my partner and I arrived, there were 2 parties with lots of children in them.
Revisions
- Jun 11, 2022 - Initial revision.