#PeachysPicks #TerrificTakeout #PeachyDeegan #DaNico @DaNicoNYC #WhomYouKnow #Manhattan @ManhattanPeachy A Peachy's Pick Since 2013, Da Nico by Nicky Criscitelli and the Criscitelli Family #NickyCriscitelli Still #Best #Restaurant in #LittleItaly Says Whom You Know!
The triumphant Vitello Da Nico!
Fabulous Tortellini Romagnola!
Nicky Criscitelli and Peachy Deegan
And, they even have an outdoor garden which we want to check out in the next good weather!
It's not who you know, and it never has been.
It's WHOM YOU KNOW!
And we know Da Nico, which is the best restaurant in Little Italy still!
Da Nico, owned by our friend Nicky Criscitelli, began in 1993 and has been a Peachy's Pick since 2013:
It was last featured last winter:
The warm, welcoming atmosphere that greets you evidences the passion and commitment the Criscitelli family has to delighting both you and your stomach!
Nicky, his wife Angela and their sons Nicky and Frankie and their winning team collectively bring Italian deliciousness to you at a high level of consistency.
Their pizza is the unsung hero of Manhattan pizzas. Last time we visited, we tried it and we thought about it for months afterwards. It is much better than some places that specialize in pizza only. We started with the Pizza Primavera, which you must have because it is both delicious and nutritious. Elegantly loaded with green and red peppers, zucchini, artichoke and black olives, you will revel in its perfect crust, sensational sauce and magnificent mozzarella.
The Pizza Bianca is to-die-for.
The amazingly creamy ricotta really elevates this hot number and it is like soft pillows of cheesy ecstasy embellished of course by the already phenomenal mozzarella. When it approaches you you will go crazy for the extraordinary savory scent before you delicately devour it! Pinkies out.
Salads are important.
Salads matter, and they matter to Da Nico. We count six choices on the regular menu, and this one is their signature: Insalata Da Nico. Classic fresh mixed greens dance with tomato and onion and are topped off by our favorite vegetable, provolone.
Below, meet Insalata Spinaci, artfully arranged.
Baby leaf spinach is tossed with crispy pancetta (a type of BACON!), walnuts, fresh mushrooms and orange segments. Well-cut, this salad is really brightened by the oranges which expertly have none of those annoying white strings attached. The oranges are perfection and a burst of color and nutrition on a gray day like today.
You should know that Nicky creates weekly specials (they run for a week) that are both seasonally-driven and also driven by guest opinion. Nicky is the kind of guy that fields calls from his customers that have special requests to make something that their little heart desires and he says yes from seafood salad to osso bucco. We ordered off the regular menu this time but Peachy has thought of about three different pizza requests she might have in the future! The pasta is also outstanding.
Above meet the Tortellini Romagnola, a tantalizingly luxurious cheese tortellini with prosciutto and mushrooms in a heavy cream sauce. It is the perfect comfort food for a crisp fall day and every bite is decadent. The Lasagna is a true classic: homemade and authentically served in a frying pan, this will absolutely hit the spot from the sauce to the cheese to every layer that you will love.
Peachy Deegan is a connoisseur of Chicken Parm, and few places in Manhattan do it as well as Da Nico. Authentically Italian, this dish of breaded chicken cutlet topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce makes the ordinary extraordinary. Every bite is intoxicatingly delicious and we will warn you, we surmise it could become habit-forming. Below, the Vitello Da Nico is a signature of this venue and is entirely majestic! The veal scaloppini is spendidly sauteed with mushrooms, artichokes and sherry wine sauce and it was our favorite of the night, along with the pizza. There were no weak spots! The rainbow of autumn in this dish is a brilliant amalgamation of fall colors with the peapods, carrots, artichokes, and mushrooms.
Do not miss the Peperoncini Piccanti, which has a tremendous kick! Hot long peppers sauteed in garlic and olive oil are fantastically zippy and we bet they are great for preventing colds. The fiery healthiness will entice you.
Da Nico continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
We love the closing fruit plate!
