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Opening Hours
Today: 11:30am–10pm
Sat:
11:30am–10pm
Sun:
Closed
Mon:
11:30am–10pm
Tues:
11:30am–10pm
Wed:
11:30am–10pm
Thurs:
11:30am–10pm
Location
20 East 49th Street
Neighborhoods
Location
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More Italian nearby

Lost Gem
Il Gattopardo 1 Italian undefined

Il Gattopardo

After having successfully occupied the space at 33 West since 2001 - now home to his restaurant, Mozzarella & Vino - twelve years later, owner Gianfranco Sorrentino had a new vision for Il Gattopardo. The restaurant's current location features two dining rooms, two full bars and a larger kitchen for Chef Vito Gnazzo to create his magic. Early on a weekday afternoon, when the Manhattan Sideways team stopped in to meet the charming Mr. Sorrentino, the upstairs dining room was already filling up with elegant business people having quiet conversation. After spending a few minutes observing the perfectly timed flow of the restaurant, we were led downstairs to another room, which unexpectedly opened up into a back seating area with soaring ceilings and skylights. Upon each table was a slender pink calla lily that Mr. Sorrentino proudly told us was the personal touch of his wife, Paula. He went on to say that she works as a graphic designer, but also personally oversees the layout and decor of each of their three restaurants. As at Mozzarella & Vino, the food was incredible. However, the two restaurants diverge somewhat in their menus' focus. While Mozzarella & Vino puts its emphasis on appetizers and more simple plates, Il Gattopardo specializes in a more traditional Italian meal. Accordingly, we were encouraged to sample their lobster pasta, mussels marinated in a white wine broth, and eggplant parmesan. On our way out, as I thanked Chef Vito for the delicious food, l had one last chat with Mr. Sorrentino. My favorite line that he shared with me was that in addition to running three of his own restaurants in the city - the third being The Leopard at Des Artistes - he knows the owners of almost all of New York's Italian restaurants. And feeling well acquainted with the incredible quality and diversity of Italian cuisine here, he was prepared to make the bold statement: "The best Italian restaurants are in New York, not in Italy. "

More places on 49th Street

Lost Gem
Oceana 1 American Seafood Breakfast undefined

Oceana

Opened in 1992 and originally located on the Upper East Side, Oceana moved to 49th Street in 2009. The Livanos family sowed the seeds for the glorious Oceana long ago when they ran a diner and realized their ambitions to develop it into something more. Having worked hard to make their dreams a reality, Oceana continues to pride itself on the freshness of its food and makes a point to have direct relationships with the fish mongers and farmers. Although some have called Oceana the Mecca of seafood, the restaurant's menu is notably diverse. The executive chef, Ben Pollinger, takes to the broad reaches of American cuisine and mixes elements of different dishes together, often in an unexpected way. The Manhattan Sideways team eagerly sampled a few of the marvelous dishes, including the Copper River Sockeye Salmon Crudo, featuring pickled ramps, parsley oil, and Amagansett sea salt, and the Sea Scallops Ceviche that is topped with peaches, ginger, and cinnamon basil. I was pleasantly surprised by the incredible vegetarian dish that the chef also prepared - Summer Squash & Cranberry Bean Salad, consisting of zucchini, gold bar and pattypan squash, pignoli, purslane and drizzled in lemon vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious. The last member of the Oceana team that we were introduced to was their wine director, Pedro Goncalves. Pedro, who began working at Oceana in 2001, makes a concerted effort to develop drink pairings to accompany the delectable food menu. Standing near the white marble bar, he proudly told us that Oceana has 1100 wine listings and 600 spirits. He went on to report that with forty-seven different gins, Oceana has one of the largest selections of in the city. "There is something to fit every personality, " Pedro said.