Scuderia - the bread is small but it's really good

I have been dying to go to Bar Pitti and Da Silvano, but my attempts are generally cut short by the long waits any night of the week. The other night, I passed by the two restaurants and sure enough my concerns were justified - long waits and crowds outside. I glanced across the street in sadness, and a dimly lit awning caught my eye. "Scuderia" it said. The name suddenly brought me back to an article I had read about the restaurant that noted it was a cheaper version of the two Italian restaurants it faced across the street. In fact, its co-owned by Silvano Marchetto of Da Silvano.

I was ecstatic that I remembered this - I dashed over and to my delight was greeted and seated immediately. Upon arrival I immediately noticed the full bar - such a rare commodity for good Italian restaurants. The restaurant is filled with good tables; there's a large area of out door seating, and the restaurant's full sized windows open to make the whole space feel airy, familial, and summer friendly.

The menu is comprised a variety of typical yet refined Italian fare - pizzas, panini, pastas, primi, secondi, and a few choices of tramezzini (small bites) to curb the appetite. The food is well priced, and you can definitely eat a delicious, filling meal without breaking the bank. The wines by the glass are also fairly cheap - I had a delicious cabernet for just $7.50. For food, I tried the insalata pizza with mozzerella on wheat crust and the Paccheri alla bucaiola - a deliciously dense pasta (somewhat like ravioli without filling) with spicy sausage, sweet peas, and cream. Honestly, the pasta was hot, perfectly seasoned, and to heaven in my mouth. The little bits of caramalized sausage sealed the deal. The pizza was simple - a wheat crust pizza with a pile of lettuce on top - tasty but nothing over the top or spectacular. The salad atop the pizza came with mango, something I would never imagine throwing on a pizza in an Italian restaurant, and probably wouldn't recommend.

Overall, the service was friendly and accommodating to my random requests (sauce on the sauceless pizza, bread immediately, etc). I would recommend trying Scuderia if you want something Centro-Vinoteca-esque with a more laid back, open air feel, edgy feel. It's a little bit remote on a wide 6th-ave block, but once you're inside you may forget you're in New York (which is sometimes a good thing).

Address: 10 Downing St between Minetta St & Avenue Of The Americas

Website: www.scuderianyc.com