A favorite New York food-find of mine I discovered several years ago is a restaurant called Pepegiallo. A girlfriend introduced the place to me as one of her locals: reasonably priced and reliable. Note: she didn’t say the best Italian food in the city. We paid by cash, I forgot to keep the receipt and I stupidly forgot to grab the business card. Forward wind the clock four years later and I stumbled on it again by accident following a business event a few blocks away.
Luckily, it seemed to have maintained its charm, despite its location, it wasn’t overly crowded and the reasonable prices and authentic Italian food had remained in tact.
Located on 253 Tenth Avenue on the west side, it’s conveniently located if you’re there on business which I am unfortunately more than pleasure. That said, whenever I have more time, I try to wander into more off the beaten path neighborhoods far from mid-town.
The thing I love most about Pepegiallo is not the food. Their food is okay as is their wine (okay, not great), but the ambiance and authenticity of this charming eatery is why you should stop in. You shouldn’t come here if you want the best Italian eating experience in Manhattan – there are tons of other places to go if you’re a serious foodie. Yet serious foodie I have been called and yet, I still find this place a great stop for other reasons. If you want a more serious Italian “food experience”, head to the lower east side. Here’s a write-up I did on 5 Must Eat Places in the lower East and West Sides.
For its location, the place is ridiculously inexpensive. Have a meander at the menu:
See what I mean? You almost have the sense that you’d be walking into the New York Italian equivalent of a seafood eatery on Maine’s Route 1 where the lobster rolls are still $8.95 and you can get fish-and-chips that are fresh as being at the dock yourself for under $10.
Picnic table style…yet the ambiance at Pepegiallo is far from picnic table style even though it is still fairly basic….Basic, but charming, colorful and authentically Italian. The below was taken during the day, so picture “it” with dimmer lights and every table full and you’ll have a better visual of what it delivers in the way of experience…both times I went.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
