I Ate My Way Through Tucci NYC And Now I Have A New Favorite Italian Restaurant In The City

 Six dishes, one very full stomach, and zero regrets.

Tucci NYC is the kind of Italian restaurant that makes you want to call your most dramatic friend and say, "We need to go here immediately." It's warm without being stuffy, elevated without being intimidating. Here is everything we ate - and you should too.

Appetizer

1. TUCCI MEATBALLS — Calabrian Chili Marinara, Manchego | $27

We're starting here because you should always start with meatballs, and these earn their spot on the menu. The Calabrian chili marinara brings just enough heat to feel intentional — not a garnish, not an afterthought — and the Manchego on top adds this slightly funky, salty edge that you didn't know you needed. These are not your Sunday-sauce meatballs. These are meatballs with a point of view.

Verdict: 8/10. Order them. Perfect for sharing.

2. TUNA CARPACCIO — Fennel, Capers, Crispy Shallots, Lemon Aioli | $31

This dish is doing a lot and somehow pulling all of it off. The tuna is silky and clean, the fennel keeps things bright, and the crispy shallots are the unsung hero of the whole plate. The lemon aioli ties it together in a way that feels almost too effortless. It's the kind of dish that looks delicate on the table and then hits you with actual flavor. A very good sign for what's coming.

Verdict: 9/10. The move is to order this and feel very sophisticated.

3. CACIO E PEPE E TARTUFO — Black Truffles, Bucatini, Pecorino | $46

Okay. This is the dish. If you come to Tucci and you don't order this, I genuinely don't know what you're doing. The bucatini is cooked perfectly and the black truffle situation here is generous in a way that feels almost reckless. Pecorino adds the salt and the sharpness. The pepper is present and accounted for. Every bite is deeply satisfying in that specific, pasta-brained way where you stop talking mid-sentence.

Verdict: 10/10. Non-negotiable. You're getting this.

4. FETTUCCINI FRA DIAVOLO — Jumbo Prawns, Calabrian Chili, Basil | $48

The fra diavolo is bold, spicy, and unapologetic, which honestly, respect. The jumbo prawns are cooked well — not rubbery, not overdone, just tender enough that they feel like a treat rather than an obligation. The Calabrian chili is making a second appearance on this menu and at this point I'm convinced Tucci has a type, and that type is heat with intention. The basil cuts through everything at just the right moment. A dish for people who like their pasta to talk back.

Verdict: 8.5/10. Order this if you like things spicy and your fettuccini with ambition.

5. CHICKEN PARMESAN — Smoked Vodka Sauce | $41

Listen, chicken parm is a test. Every Italian restaurant in New York City serves it and most of them are fine. Tucci's is not just fine — it's actually interesting, which is harder to pull off than it sounds. The smoked vodka sauce is the differentiator here. There's a subtle smokiness that runs through the whole dish and makes it feel like a deliberate reinvention rather than a menu filler. The chicken itself is crispy where it should be and the cheese pull is very much present and very much delivering. Classic format, surprising execution.

Verdict: 8/10. Respect to a chicken parm that has something to say.

6. DELMONICO RIBEYE — 16oz Brandt Family Farms, Braised Cipollini Onion, Natural Jus | $79

And then there's this. The ribeye arrives looking exactly like a ribeye should look — imposing, confident, already winning. The Brandt Family Farms sourcing matters here; you can taste the quality in how clean and rich the beef flavor is, with nothing masking it. The natural jus keeps things honest. The braised cipollini onion is doing its job on the side. At $79 this is the table's anchor and it holds that role without drama.

Verdict: 9/10. If you're going to do a steakhouse move at an Italian restaurant, this is the one.

Tucci NYC is the rare restaurant that plays upscale Italian without losing warmth or flavor in the process. The menu has range — from the sharp, acidic brightness of the carpaccio to the deeply savory truffle pasta to a ribeye that belongs in a conversation about the best steaks in the city — and it all feels cohesive. Not trying to be everything, just trying to be very good at one specific, delicious thing.

Go with someone you want to impress, or go alone and order the cacio e pepe. Either way, you're coming back.