"Have you ever found yourself wandering through the West Village thinking: “Is there a place that’s charming and casual I can just pop into for some carbs and a nice salad without a two-hour wait?” That place exists, and it’s Malaparte. This dark little spot on Washington Street with exposed brick everywhere and wood floors that might be 100 (or more) years old is good for either a date night or a meal with a handful of friends. Order some rigatoni, a pizza with prosciutto, and the simple grilled whole branzino." - bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman, sonal shah