Best Historic Restaurants in China Town

The food is excellent. We were with another couple and ordered the cauliflower, zucchini pancakes, baked clams, tortellachi, brandzino and duck. Everything was delicious. Our server was very attentive & brought two samples of wine to taste. It was an extremely cold night & the tables near the door are drafty. Avoid if possible. Also no valet parking so plan to look for parking in the neighborhood.

We dined at Il Carciofo for first time 2 nights ago. We were five people, celebrating a couple birthdays. Overall, it was excellent. For antipasti, we had the artichoke, lamb ribs and calamari. All were excellent. Lamb ribs were a little fatty for my taste, but lamb is fattier, and everyone else at the table loved them. Terrific flavor with the glaze, so tender. Artichoke was also a fave. Next we had the mortadella pizza (really more like a panini) - so, so good - one of the best things we had. For pasta we had the rigatoni carbonara, rich and delicious, the oxtail tagliatelle, my personal fave, and the mezza rigatoni alla amatriciana, spicy and very good. For the forgo, we had the halibut with clams and mussels - was good, but not special, and a tad overcooked. We also had the veal saltimbocca, which was very good and enjoyed. We had the potatoes and fungji e formaggi as contort (sides). Potatoes were great; the funghi were special, really loved them. Finally for dessert we ordered pistachio gelato - did not enjoy; it was not creamy, a bit more grainy (coursely grpund pistachio?). They also brought us the Zeppole di san Giuseppe for the birthday dessert, and it was delicious. Our server was really great, attentive but not overbearing. She explained all the dishes and did a nice job on a very busy Friday. The restaurant is lively and kind of loud, but not so much that you can’t hear others at your table. Wine list is good, some nice, creative cocktails. Overall, a great experience that I highly recommend, and I congratulate Joe Flamm and his team on another great restaurant.

The tortilla espanola with jamon and blue fin tuna carpaccio were highlights for me. Though, if you've been to Spain, especially Madrid, and have had tortilla espanola or jamon ibérico, know that it will taste the same but at a significant premium. The fish and meat will start at about 1.5 lbs, which was good for 2-3 people depending on how many dishes you start with. Overall, everything was flavorful, which was a relief after reading some of the poor reviews. That said, it wasn't mouthwatering or novel. So if you're looking for a unique culinary experience that matches the price tag, and that you'll rave about for years to come, this may not be for you.

I gave the food 4 stars, but that applies to the Rueben sandwiches. Three stars for my entree, the Schlachteplatte - Sauerkraut, smoked pork chop, chopped Bratwurst, Thuringer & Knockwurst with fingerling potatoes. Sounds like a lot of food, so split it with another person. The dinner plate was small. Piled with sauerkraut, but only 2 slices each of the sausages & the pork chop was the thickness of a slice of ham. Could not be thinner. And for $25, it wasn’t worth it. We also ordered a side of potato pancakes that tasted like hash browns. Our waiter was great! The Christmas decorations were beautiful and the ambiance was very cozy. Maybe other entrees are good, but if I go again, I’ll stick to one of the sandwiches.