Via Carota

Charming and wildly popular West Village “gastroteca” with exceptional Italian-ish food (one chef/owner is Tuscan)It’s hard to come by a res at this hot spot that attracts the beautiful people of NYC and also those in search of delicious, not fussy, Italian-ish food like butter beans with spinach, bagna cauda, raw artichoke salad, Sicilian meatballs, a green salad piled high like Mt. Vesuvius with a cult following, and one of the best tonnarelli cacio e pepe in town. The vibe is dark wood, candles, linen and homemade lace— elegant but rustic. A white marble bar is great for single diners and you’ll impress your date with a table here. The wines are all Italian but I say start with one of the 6 Negroni variations or a spritz; don’t miss the anchovy + butter bruschetta, do go to town on veg dishes—they’re all amazing—and grab a pasta if you’re nostalgic for that amazing pappardelle you had last time you were in Florence. The mains are probably great, too, but honestly the rest is so good I never get one. Highly recommend the gorgeous inverted presentation of the affogato for dessert!