Being of Italian heritage, I consider myself a bit of an Italian food snob—especially when it comes to pizza! Time after time, I’ve been told to try Johnny’s Pizzeria in Mount Vernon, because many consider it the best pizza in all of Westchester. It’s a no-frills kind of place, but the grub is good and rumor has it that this family-owned joint still has nonna cooking in the kitchen.
Another great option is The Cookery in Dobbs Ferry. It’s considered Italian comfort food, but if you ask me, all Italian food is comforting. The menu is really fun and unique, with apps such as “mozzarella made daily, olio novello, and grilled tuscan bread,” as well as pasta dishes like “cauliflower ravioli, lemon brown butter, garlic, toasted bread crumbs, and parmigiano.” No need to go further, because they had me at the fresh mozzarella.
I’ve been wanting to try relative newcomer Savona in Scarsdale for a while now—every time I drive by the place, it’s packed and looks super trendy and stylish. Owner Evan Lambert tells me that he espouses an “unwavering commitment to soulfully prepared, super-high-quality, regional Italian cuisine.” The vast selection of cured meats and artisanal cheeses alone would be enough to get any diner in the door. But Savona combines it with “seamlessly orchestrated service,” according to Evan.
This time around, I’m going with Mulino’s of Westchester in White Plains. The place really makes me feel like a queen when I’m there. The wait staff is exceptional and brings me so many samples to try that I’m mostly stuffed by the time my appetizer of baked clams arrives. I push on through and order the tagliatelle alla bolognese for dinner and seriously think about licking the plate–the sauce is too good to let one drop go to waste. After sopping up the remainder with some bread, I’m sadly too full to order dessert, so settle instead for an extra-frothy cappuccino to end the evening.