Tradition is often invoked in Italy, but often it means what you kind of like or what Mamma made. There is a lovely story that carbonara was created by fetching Roman ladies hoping to lure American soldiers at the end of World War II, whipping up an American breakfast into pasta.

The New York Times, Pasta Carbonara, an Unlikely Stand-In

"A place whose nightly buzz is due to people having a wonderful time eating the heartiest Italian food and drinking handpicked Italian wines — including a lot of good ones for less than fifty dollars a bottle."

-John Mariani, Esquire's Best New Restaurants 2009

Dish to Try: The roasted brussels sprouts with pancetta and pecorino cheese.

-Food & Wine Magazine's Go List

"Carmellini cooks like an Italian grandmother—delivering simple food with so much heart, the recipe might've been passed down from a long line of great cooks."

- Jay Cheshes, Time Out NY

"This kind of crowd-pleasing cooking isn't designed to win culinary awards, of course. It's designed to promote a good time in a casually stylish, relatively economical way, and judging by the crowds of people who are bull-rushing into De Niro's new restaurant, it's succeeding."

- Adam Platt, NY Mag

"The exuberant, unconventional, unexpected, and mostly Italian food is undeniably up."

- Alan Richman

"Apple-cider doughnut, Nero cookie, fig bar - just a few of Karen DeMasco's treats. Must order: Oatmeal Cookie Sandwich."

-Andrew Knowlton's "The Hot 10" Bon Appetit