Some of the best Italian Restaurants in LIC, NY are showcasing their diverse Italian cuisine. For those of us who have enjoyed an Italian vacation, the memories last a lifetime. From the moment you arrive home, before the luggage is even unpacked, you can't help but wonder, "When can I plan my next Italian adventure?"

It's not just the majestic palaces and renaissance museums that draw us back. It's the charm and hospitality of the Italian people. And, it's the culinary magic we experience in restaurants from Turin to Florence, from Rome to Naples, and all locales in between. No matter what your favorite Italian dish is, the food always seems to taste better when you dine in Italy!

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Until now, that is. The dishes that you could not get enough of, during that week in Venice or Rome, can now be enjoyed right in your backyard. Authentic, traditional Italian cooking is taking center stage in the kitchens of some of Long Island City's trendiest Italian restaurants. With pride and passion, LIC's Italian born and Italian-American chefs and entrepreneurs are changing the culinary landscape along Vernon-Jackson and surrounding streets. Sit at a table, close your eyes, taste the food and you will think you are in Italy!
  

From pizza to antipasto - Best Italian in LIC

Manducatis Rustica is a great point from which to embark on our culinary tour of Italy in LIC. Located at 46-35 Vernon Blvd. Manducatis Rustica can be reached at (718)-937-1312. "Mamma" Gianna Cerbone is the restaurant's founder and lead chef. Boy, can she cook! Chef Gianna never fails to amaze. You feel as though you're enjoying a meal inside the home of a family in Milan or Rome.

The service on the part of Mamma's staff is personal and professional. They want you to be happy. But as good as the service and ambience is, it's the food that is the star at Manducatis. Chef Cerbone's "Risotto Cacciatore" hits the spot. The dish is a creamy textured rice with chicken, onions, cherry tomatoes, rosemary, white wine and pancetta. You'll savor every bite.
 
Pollo Alla Puttanesca is chicken in marinara sauce with garlic, capes, gaeta olives and a touch of parsley. For the seafood lover, Mamma's spinach cavatelli with shrimp is a must-try. The pasta and shrimp is blended with asparagus, arugula, tomatoes, garlic and white wine.
 
Manducatis offers glutten-free gnocchi and spinach ravioli, as well. I know it will be difficult, but at the end of your meal, please leave room for Mamma's homemade gelato. Dessert is part of the Manducatis experience.

Alviero Pirani, owner of Testaccio Ristorante has brought the warmth, camaraderie and delicious food from his Rome neighborhood (Testaccio) to LIC. Along with his partners, brothers Carlo and Paolo Bordone, Alviero has turned a large, old industrial warehouse into a state-of-the-art culinary experience. Testaccio is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner, a family meal or business lunch. The restaurant's decor is natural and cozy, with photos and landscape portraits of Rome setting the scene on their walls. For private parties, the restaurant even boasts a fully wired chef's table room, in the cellar. Diners can enjoy traditional Italian cuisine with a distinctive Roman touch.
 
Based in Rome, Alviero constantly updates the executive chef on Italian food trends, new restaurant dishes and what the Roman street vendors are serving. Days later, a new dish, inspired by Alviero's suggestions, will appear on Testaccio's menu. Now that's contemporary Roman cooking at its best. 

Why not start your meal with the Stracciatella Alla Romana? It's a filling and tasty soup with egg, spinach and parmesan cheese in chicken broth. The lasagna dish contains beef, tomato sauce and bechamel. Their grilled free range breast of chicken comes with cucumbers and Italian potato salad. Testaccio's Polenta is truly authentic. A dusting of Parmesan accents the heartiness and flavor of the dish. Testaccio is located at 47-30 Vernon Blvd. You may make reservations by calling (718)-937-2900. They offer Roman brunch on the weekends, and on weekdays, from 4PM to 8PM, you can get a free Roman Apperitivo.

The restaurant is only a couple of blocks from the #7 train Vernon-Jackson Station. If you are driving in, complimentary valet parking is available for your convenience. Their motto is simple and straightforward: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in New York, come to Testaccio!" 
 
Few restaurants can claim to be both Romantic and kid-friendly. But, with its fireplace, classy decor and family atmosphere, Manetta's in LIC manages to do just that!
 
Located not far from the Citibank Building and Court Square's brownstones, their address is 10-76 Jackson Avenue at 11th Street. You can get all the info you want by calling ( 718)-786-6171.
 

Whatever your taste in Italian cuisine is, Manetta's has it on their extensive menu that keeps you coming back. The restaurant's owners and quality-control experts are Filomena and her daughters Lisa and Rose Ann. These culinary Queens know what it takes to please a discerning New Yorker.

Hungry for a salad? Manetta's special Insalata Della Casa features mesclun greens tossed with oven-roasted apple, shaved Manchego cheese, hazel nuts, hazel nut oil and balsamic glaze. Now that's healthy but different. Tired of plain old spaghetti and sauce? Then let your palate loose on trofie, a dish consisting of homemade twist pasta, with pesto sauce, green beans, toasted pinoli and Fontina cheese. 

The Pappardelle Della Nonna is just the way your Italian grandma would make it, a homemade Ribbon Pasta in a Porcini mushroom sauce. Skipped breakfast and lunch? Then you don't need an excuse to dig into one of Manetta's succulent side dishes. They do Broccoli Rabe just the way it should be. The sauteed spinach with Pinoli and goat cheese is a taste sensation. Manetta's old-time favorites give you chicken, eggplant or shrimp parmigian to choose from. You can't miss!

Is pizza your guilty pleasure? Manetta's will tempt you with a variety of brick-oven pizza options, including Pizza Manetta, which has tomato sauce, fresh Mozarella, zucchini, eggplant, radicchio and roasted peppers. Having lunch with your fitness trainer? No problem! Manetta's will serve up whole wheat or organic spelt pizza. Manetta's is the place to be for great food and old-world Italian charm.

Find All The Deals On Italian Restaurants  

Long Island City has no shorage of great cafes and lounges. When strolling along Vernon Blvd., do not miss out on the Italian cuisine at Masso in LIC, where great taste is always on the menu. Masso Restaurant is at 47-25 Vernon Blvd. anf theit phone number is (718)-482-8151
If the usual coffee shop breakfast food is getting a little old for you, try Masso's brunch on the weekend. They have something every member of your family will enjoy. Go Italian and savor their awesome Panini choices or try the delicious, fresh Bruschetta and Antipasti or Baked Frittata. More traditional brunch items include french toast, pancakes, eggs benedict and omelettes. Masso uses only certified organic eggs. Better for you and your children. For lunch or dinner, Masso's entrees feature four-cheese lasagna, spinach and mushroom lasagna, rigatoni with chicken and sun-dried tomato as well as gnocchi with butter herb sauce.

Masso has a very relaxed, contemporary vibe going for it. It's the kind of place you can go for a cocktail or glass of wine, to unwind after the work day and graze on an antipasto small plate.

Tired of cooking and want to treat the family to dinner? Masso is very reasonably priced and you can kick back, interact with friends or family and just enjoy the food.

Long Island City is a vibrant neighborhood, with a thriving art and cultural scene. Together with a strong sense of community, it is only fitting that LIC should be home to some of New York's best Italian restaurants.