"Owner Badr Bennis and head chef Nicola Valle were inspired by the freedom they found in New York’s creative Italian restaurants. At the upscale yet informal Benzina (“Gasoline” in Italian), housed in a former auto repair shop, they serve a menu of updated Italian classics, incorporating international influences, non-traditional ingredients, and colorful presentations. The atmosphere is more akin to a rock and roll bar than your typical red sauce spot. The menu is refreshed every couple of months, with dishes like cacio e pepe risotto with fried squid and mandarin reduction, Roman-style gnocchi with slow-cooked rabbit and kale, balsamic-roasted pork loin with maitake mushrooms, and confit eggplant parmesan topped with basil sorbet." - Sam Zucker
