Long before Batali had the phone lines perpetually tied up at Babbo and Lupa, there was Franco Fazzuoli and his mini-empire of Greenwich Village trattorias. The Italian expat, who lost his restaurant in Florence to a massive flood before fleeing the country in 1966, regularly packed the crowds of a Studio 54-era into his trio of authentic Northern Italian eateries, Il Ponte Vecchio, Zinno and Cent'Anni. After over twenty years of success, Fazzuoli once again uprooted himself to the dismay of a loyal (and often high-profile) clientele and relocated to the deserts of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Another two decades later, Fazzuoli has returned to the West Village with this classic trattoria. Although the neighborhood streets once populated by immigrants have since given way to gentrification, one thing remains the same: his reasonably priced rustic Italian fare continues to impress. Using fresh ingredients sourced daily at local markets, the menu boasts a selection of homemade pastas, fish and organic free range chicken, all of which are complemented nicely by a selection of Californian and Italian wines (the Fratelli Urciuolo Greco di Tufo, a full-bodied white from Campania grown at the base of Vesuvius, goes down smooth, finishes crisp and dry, and is not to be missed).
Though specials change daily, one to look for is the Strozza Preti con Erbe Aromatiche, a pasta thicker than penne covered in a creamy pink sauce of fresh aromatic herbs and diced prosciutto; better yet, leave your stomach in the hands of Fazzuoli himself, who circulates the cozy brick dining room past sketches and photos of Florence to personally greet diners at each dark wooden table. Interacting with the convivial owner is as inextricable from the dining experience here as the food itself. Just in time for the warm weather, there's outdoor seating along Carmine Street where you can leisurely enjoy a meal the Italian way (course upon course savored over three hours) or simply indulge in a sweetly tart blood orange sorbetto or the light-as-air Amaretto Marenghata Semifreddo (his grandmother's well-guarded recipe)—a slice of la dolce vita, indeed.