Dining Near Cultural Institutions - Manducatis

Dining Near Cultural Institutions - Manducatis

Manducatis
13-27 Jackson Ave. at 47th Ave., 718-729-4602,
Long Island City, Queens
The draw ofMoMA PS1 has brought much more
allure to Long Island City as a residential area and
modern art pilgrimage. Further buffing the
neighborhood's cachet was the recent opening of
M. Wells, a hipster diner beating the drums for
French-Canadian foodstuffs. But we'd also like to
point you in the direction of the old-school
Manducatis nearby.

From the outside, it looks like
a humble dive bar, but inside, it may be the most
authentically recreated Italian trattoria in the City,
complete with blazing fireplace. Beloved owners
Vincenzo and Ida Cerbone have been on the
scene since 1977—Vincenzo, formally attired in a
suit, greets you at the door, and the apron-
wrapped Ida is still in the kitchen.

Her pasta is
made with love and covers the classics: fettucine
Bolognese, bucatini all'Amatriciana, penne alla
puttanesca. And when was the last time you
heard a Muzak version of the theme from Romeo
and Juliet or a retiree called "kiddo"? The daytime
lady servers sound a little like Marge Simpson's
sisters, all contributing to make this place a living
museum installation.

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