Becco

There is a place filled with lights, overwhelmed (and overwhelming) crowds, and cheap souvenier shops that I maintain a certain degree of hatred toward. A mecca of overpriced restaurants whose audience is distracted by the hype and is thusly unaware of their less-than-palatable menu offerings. A place that does not have to try hard to impress, as its guests are fleeting and most unlikely to become "regulars."

In this horrific place, there is one street that is worthy of your time spent in Times Square. Despite the enticing yet unholy adult XXX DVD shop that corners 46th Street and 8th Avenue, it is an almost bearable street that is home to a tremendous restaurant.

Becco was opened by restauranteur and chef Lidia Bastianich and her son in the early '90s. While it does surrender to the hustle of show-goers in a time crunch, Becco serves up some serious Italian dishes. It is known for it's pasta special; a choice of salad or antipasti to start, and endless helpings of three homemade pastas, served tableside from the pan they were cooked in. But if you are looking for a protein-packed meal, Becco's menu boasts many options.

And the service--simply perfect. Attentive without being overbearing, the wait staff is sure that it earns every penny of its tip. My mom, for example, was not in an adventurous mood and therefore evaded the third pasta from the special: squid ink noodles with shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce. The waiter noticed this and had the chef cook up a dish just for her. In a fit of joy and satisfaction, we ordered another bottle of wine.

Oh yes, the wine. There is a whole page in the wine list dedicated to $20 bottles.

Bastianich, you are too good.

http://www.becco-nyc.com/