il Gigante
Italian restaurant · Ridgewood ·
Italian eatery with housemade pasta, focaccia, and meatballs
Italian eatery with housemade pasta, focaccia, and meatballs
"Sitting on a breezy corner in Ridgewood, this no-frills Italian spot channels the owners’ Central Italian upbringings with a pasta-heavy, house-made lineup and wood tables set with butcher paper, bottles of olive oil, and friendly servers quick to refill focaccia baskets. Come for fantastic fresh pastas in a laidback setting, where satisfying group meals land around $60 per person. Order the Gramigna alla Salsiccia—short, tubular noodles with wonderful nuttiness, where Italian sausage brings sweetness and a fennel kick—and the Cotoletta alla Bolognese, a massive fried pork cutlet draped with prosciutto and covered in a cheese sauce that’s a shareable showstopper. For dessert, the well-sized tiramisu is generously topped with cocoa powder and notably light on rum, and the selection also includes a flourless chocolate cake and flan. Artwork scattered on walls and ledges gives the room a lived-in feel, with moody lighting cozy but bright enough to read; on a recent visit the restaurant was packed with groups chatting over a lively soundtrack and plates of fresh pasta, with high chairs stacked in the corner for brunch and early dinner. Drinks are well priced—mostly Negronis and spritzes—with a tight wine list and convenient half bottles for groups who want to taste a few. Service is fast in the best way: no one will rush you if you want to linger over dessert and wine, but those after a quicker meal (including families with impatient little ones) can be in and out without fuss." - Stephanie Wu
"The new kid on the “it” restaurant block, the Italian Ridgewood restaurant, Il Gigante, is housed in a space used for Martin Scorsese’s 2019 movie The Irishman. The 10-seat bar from the film is still intact and “super welcoming” to diners, says owner Lorenzo Pizzoli. House-made focaccia and crunchy taralli are the precursor to every meal and are offered even if you’re only getting drinks. The wine list has 25 options by the glass, and Pizzoli says that the bartenders proffer tastings at the bar of as many wines as customers want. The restaurant is expected to get a liquor license this summer, which he says will bring more “bar surprises.”" - Shivani Vora
"Rolo’s is a zoo, and we don’t see that changing anytime soon. For a realistic Ridgewood option that’s just as fun and casual, choose Il Gigante. The neighborhood Italian spot has bubbly servers, well-priced wine, and a range of impressive pastas that are all under $20. Get a bowl of gramigna in a pink sauce loaded with sausage, and pair it with a carafe of chilled frappato." - bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick
"A new act unfolds inside the Ridgewood corner spot that once accommodated the Irishman film set and the eclectic former restaurant Porcelain. Il Gigante is a classic Italian trattoria with house-made pasta and a solid wine list. It’s the product of several restaurant veterans with experience from Il Brigante at the South Street Seaport, Aromi in Carroll Gardens, and Malaparte in the West Village, between them, from Bologna and Prato originally. The salsiccia e fagioli is a warming stew of thyme-heavy beans topped with a fat, snappy sausage and a nice rustic bread. In the pecorina salad, a very bitter radicchio gets balanced with pecorino cream and bright, sweet orange slices. The lasagna is a comforting mass of green pasta, béchamel sauce, and beef ragu. And for extra springy bucatini, get the cacio e pepe." - Caroline Shin
"Giant plates of calamari and pasta alongside even larger glasses of red wine are a classic recipe for a fun night out in New York. But when those plates of pasta cost no more than $20, and glasses of red start at $13, it gets dialed up to another level of pure indulgence. Such is the case at Il Gigante, a trattoria in Ridgewood where the staff explain specials and joke around with you to the soundtrack of funky Italian jazz." - willa moore, sonal shah, bryan kim, will hartman
