We just got back from Rome and where we’ve essentially eaten all over the city, so going to an Italian restaurant in New York is definitely taking a chance. By the way, there is no bad pasta in Rome, but there is terrible pizza. Symbol of Rome, Lupa the she-wolf is a wonderful bistro, on Thompson Street, New York, that does it right.

The waiters are very knowledgeable (do you know the difference between Borsci and Lucano, digestives?) and actually helpful, a rarity in New York. The appetizers are served in soup bowls and are tasty and distinctive. I liked the Winter Squash alla Romana. The pastas are hearty and have interesting twists; the Bavette Cacio has a breadcrumb coating. The biggest compliance is that the selection is small. Main fish or meat dishes are seasoned like this. Sorry, vegans do not need to apply. While the wine list isn’t cheap, the variety is incredible and half carafes are available. The desserts are definitely Italian in style and even the Tartufo, an ice cream bomb, has a certain savior to make.

Italians entertain in restaurants not normally at home and Lupa always has several large groups going on at the same time. Instead of assigning a single server to a large table, teams of servers work together so that everyone is served together. Warning: the front room is noisy and reservations are not only required, but weekend reservations are hard to come by.

In a galaxy far, far away, a long, long time ago, you made reservations at IL Cortile and then maybe, maybe you got a table. Boy have times changed! The other day I was in little Italy, now a ghost town, I walked into IL Cortile and was immediately seated. The huge restaurant was so empty that some preschoolers were playing tag in an enclosed section that was larger than most other restaurants.

On the other hand, the decor at Il Cortile, at 125 Mulberry Street, is over the top, with a flower display the size of a man and some of the bricks imported from Italy. The menu was presented as a folded scroll, cute, but confusing. However, the waiter was truly professional. I ordered the “Panettone” Scaloppine, veal and mushrooms baked in bread. Very quickly the waiter came back and said. The panettone was not at its best and suggested something else. The Antipasto Caldo “Cortile”, the hot antipasto was small and some of the items were burnt. not a good start. The Spaghettini Puttanesca Speciali, literally puttanesca pasta, was lukewarm, but the pasta was al dente and the ingredients very fresh. Could have used a little more spice. The mussels marinara was very good, the restaurant made sauce and so on. My veal dish had lots of puccini mushrooms and the veal melted in my mouth. An old trick to determine the quality of the restaurant is to ask for a glass of house wine, a good restaurant will not give you a bad wine. I did it and I got a Chianti Reserva that is very soft and with a beautiful bouquet. Dessert was espresso and a chocolate mouse cake with crushed walnuts that was well worth the wait. IL Cortile still has it and I guess the emptiness can be attributed more to the economy than the restaurant.

Dinner for two at either restaurant with an inexpensive wine costs around $140. But there’s no doubt that Lupa has the food and the enthusiasm!

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