THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Torrisi Italian Specialties Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Torrisi Italian Specialties Restaurant Review:

This 18-seat restaurant, located smack in the center of that tourist-crammed theme park known as Little Italy, is not your typical red sauce joint. True, it’s Italian-American, but the offerings from the kitchen, all made from ingredients sourced in America, are at least two or three notches above those at the other restaurants that flank Mulberry Street. The two founding chefs, Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, have logged time in the kitchens at Café Boulud and Del Posto. But don’t expect anything too fancy. This is stripped down Italian, and it’s done very well. If you’re lucky, the tiny, rotating menu might list sheep’s milk gnocchi. There’s a juicy pork chop and a nicely prepared devil’s chicken. The wine list is affordable, with most of its selections hailing from the West Coast.