Italian-inspired Veg-ging Out, Part 2

I want to say that New York trumps D.C. in terms of its offering of Italian fare. It probably does but I should be honest: I rarely sought out Italian food while I lived in the District so there's not much I can compare except for the pizza. It's kind of superfluous to say that New York pizza is better than D.C. pizza.

And luckily some of the best New York pizza can be found in my neighborhood, Midwood. DiFara is a small, corner shop located off the Avenue J stop on the Q. My friend and former co-worker recommended this little place of heaven/hole-in-the-wall to me even before I moved here. Now that I live within walking distance, I see the wisdom in her suggestion. I don't care that they were shut down a few months ago for health code violations. They worked it out and have reopened. Owner Dom makes some of the best pizza I've ever tasted in my life. The simple cheese slice comes with deliciously fresh basil, rich tomato sauce, oozing cheese and oil you actually don't want to dab away. It's well worth the wacky operating hours and what can be a 30-40 minute wait.

If you want more atmosphere with your pizza and more distance from the greasy kitchen, I recommend Fornino on Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg. When I stopped in this cute little brick-walled place, I had trouble deciding what to order but finally eeny meenied my way to a decision: the Bianca pizza. It was quite good, but I wasn't paying close attention while choosing and didn't realize that it was sauceless. Even so, the arugula and cheese were so fresh and amazing. This is a cheese lover's pizza indeed: mozzarella, ricotta, and parmigiano--yum! I personally would've been happy with the mozzarella alone, but everything blended nicely for a fresh, satisfying taste. To accompany my meal, I also had an $8 glass of Chianti. For dessert, spumoni--a blend of pistachio, chocolate and vanilla ice cream. What a great finish. On my second trip I ordered the Melanzane (pictured on the right) which knocked Bianca out of the park. Between the delicious flavors, the soft lighting, the exposed brick, and the cozy feel, Fornino makes a great date spot.

A couple blocks further up Bedford Ave. is another good date place: La Nonna. Their gnocchi. Oh. my. god. This is the best gnocchi I've ever had. It's light but also filling. The buffalo mozzarella combined with the red pasta sauce and soft potato gnocchi are like a ballet troupe dancing gracefully on your tongue.

I ordered something else on my first trip here, but I don't even remember what it was called. Some pasta I had never heard of, a fun shape, but definitely not as memorable as their gnocchi. I'm sure there are more wonders on the menu but I'm not sure I'll ever get to them because I'm hooked. I can tell you, however, that their bruschetta is also divine and they have some of the best homemade balsamic vinegar I've ever tasted in my life. I'd drink it if I could. Well, I should admit, I was not too ashamed to literally lick the plate.

Unlike my first post on Italian veg-ing out, I can't imagine trying to recreate these perfect palette pleasers. If you should find yourself in either pole--North or South Brooklyn, I highly recommend you hit up one of these delights on your journey.