"Let’s say you want to go to Via Carota, but a host just informed you that it’s going to be several hours before you’ll be allowed to eat food there. You can either go home, read a whole book, and come back, or you can walk a few blocks down to Fiaschetteria Pistoia. This is another walk-in-only Italian spot in the West Village with excellent pasta, and (since not as many people know about it) it’s considerably easier to get into. The space is about the size of a large storage closet with dim lighting and white brick walls, and it’s an ideal spot for a last-minute date." - Bryan Kim