Stuzzi Ristorante (CLOSED)

I recently went to Bar Stuzzichini for the first time. Overall the experience was very good. We were sat immediately and the service was very good. I'd been wanting to for the small plates, and it was worth it. Everything we ordered was really good. My only complaint would be that all of the items we ordered (about 8 dishes) were brought out to the table at once. Any other time I've eaten in a small plate or tapas restaurant they stagger the order. I like it better when the order is staggered.

We were on our way to Eataly but the crowds of people there were to much for me. Thankfully Stuzzichini was near by. It was busy night but were still greeted with warm faces at the door and gave us a great big booth in the back with tons of space. I had the seafood pasta cant remember the italian name, but it was phenomenal. Homemade pasta, scallops, clams, calimari, fresh shrimp and the portion was huge. My 2 friends had the veal milanese, and both said it was the best they ever had. The service great and casual, and we asked our server why the menu had changed and he said it was because of the new chef who is from Naples. So then we ordered dessert and had the tiramisu which had this thin layer of crunchy chocolate in the middle (so good.) Next time I go I'll try little plates which is what there known for. Highly Recommended.

Our waitress was very nice and extremely helpful. The small plates are great for sharing, we had ricotta and honey on bread, artichokes and prosciutto. The entrees were delicious. I had the sole piccata with lemon and capers. mmmm. For dessert, the chocolate hazelnut cake which was nice, light and fluffy. Extensive wine list and a few Italian beers on the menu as well. Definitely will be back!

tonight was my fourth time eating at stuzzichini and i was super disapointed. table was great until the waiter came up without a smile or any personality. practically tossed the menus on the table. we ordered the 3 stuzzichini for $18. the prosscciuto was 3 paper thin slices of meat. not worth it. i got the pasta special which was supposed to be ravioli stuffed with spinach in a butter, sage sauce. the spinach was cold, uncooked and tasted like dirt. the ravioli were all wet from the water in the spinach and the dish had ZERO taste. i itty bitty piece of sage and i couldnt even taste it. ugh....will NOT be returning.

Last month was my 12th time at the restaurant, and it was just as great as my first time. Lemon Chicken, Arancini, Crostini with Ricotta and honey, my mouth is watering as I write this. Great food, good noise level, good service and value. Piece of Italy on Broadway.

I don't agree with many of these negative comments. From our first bite, wave after wave of total satisfaction flowed over all of us After over a dozen great feasts here, I just can not heap enough praise about the place. There is a gifted genius in the kitchen, a true old world artist. With each dish, a new experience, a surprise, as though an old Sicilian lady was at the stove. The servers, the ones I had, were wonderful, having a keen knowledge of the menu, helpful with the excellent wine list, and with a strong desire to please. It was clear they were proud of their chef. The lighting could be a bit brighter so the menu would be more legible. If I lived closer to Stuzichini, I'd eat there five times a week.

When my husband and I arrived at the restaurant early to meet four other friends for dinner, we were told by the hostess that we could be seated at our table, which was empty, while we waited, because the bar was so crowded. We assured her we would begin ordering drinks and snacks as we waited for our the rest of our party. She said she just needed to have the table cleaned and then we'd be seated in a few minutes. We waited for about 20 minutes and when I finally asked what had happened, the hostess told me her manager had said we couldn't be seated before the rest of our party arrived. We were appalled by this insanely rude treatment -- at the very least she could have told us this was the case (and we'd have squeezed in at the bar), but, really, who does that? She had already promised us we could sit -- why wouldn't her manager honor that? So our table sat empty, we didn't order anything while we waited, and it left a terrible taste in our mouths. Next, once our friends arrived and we were seated -- unfortunately everyone came quickly and all at once, and the hostess, whom I assume felt guilty, took us to our table immediately before we could agree to leave -- another gentleman haunted us, constantly interrupting our conversation to ask us if we wanted to order wine and to tell us he could help us with the wine menu. No thanks. Now, the wine list is very pricey for what is on offer. Not only that, they didn't have what we wanted, and their bottles cost about four times more than their quartinos, which makes zero sense mathematically. My husband and I shared a bottle of the taurasi, which was mediocre. Next, the food: While the menu is not terribly expensive, the portions are tiny and hardly satisfying. We ordered the appetizer choice of 3 for the six of us, which came out apportioned unevenly. The arancini were delicious, the meatballs were mediocre, and the soppressata was truly disappointing. For an entree, my husband ordered the crispy lemon chicken, which was dried out. I had the orrecchiette, which was simple and very good. When one of our party ordered a second quartino of her wine halfway through the meal, it took about 20 minutes to arrive, by which point we were finishing up. Overall, the service could not be made up for by the decent food and charming interior. What could have been a lovely restaurant is beyond a disappointment -- an aggravation.