Bite-sized thru Italy

Bite-sized thru Italy
By Elaine Paoloni
Special to amNewYork

Small-plate sharing isn’t just a Spanish thing. Italian tapas, known as cicchetti in Venice, stuzzichini in Southern Italy and antipasti to many Italian Americans, are great for passing around over a few glasses of vino. While true cicchetti dishes tend to be modest — olives, sardines, meatballs — you can make a meal out of some of the more Americanized small plates such as scaled-down versions of lasagna and paninis. So no matter your appetite, you can satisfy hunger and culinary curiosity at the same time.

Gonzo
140 W. 13th St.
212-645-4606
about $10 each

In true cicchetti fashion, Gonzo’s small plates have small prices to match. Graze on mixed olives, eggplant caponata and rice balls amid a convivial crowd. Tucked away in the basement of a brownstone on a tree-lined street, the restaurant also has a sidewalk cafe that embraces the quaint Village ambiance.

Bar Stuzzichini
928 Broadway
212-780-5100
$3-$10

At this spacious Grammercy spot, the bite-sized stuzzichini menu is broken down into crostini (toasted bread with toppings), fritti (fried foods), verdure (veggies), pesce (fish), formaggi (cheeses) and salumi (meats). Can’t decide what to order? Create your own sampler with a stuzzichini misti. Don’t miss the lightly crispy zeppole di baccalà (cod fritters) and stuffed arancini (risotto balls).

Bacaro
136 Division St.
212-941-5060
$9-$12

From its Chinatown address to its secret-hideaway subterranean-vibe, this date spot has a strictly cicchetti menu, although dishes tend to be more substantial than snacky. Share a plate of crostini if you want to play it safe, or show your date your wild side and try the octopus and potato salad. The lasagna Treviso with smoked mozzarella and radicchio is a tasty Northern Italian twist on the classic baked pasta.

Le Zie
172 Seventh Ave.
212-206-8686
$19.95 for two people

If you call yourself a Venetian trattoria, then you have to have cicchetti on your menu. And at Le Zie, tradition holds. Bring a friend (there’s a two-person cicchetti minimum) to share a medley of snacks including stuffed fried olives, marinated zucchini, shrimp cakes, sardines in saor, and chickpea salad.

Bocca Lupo
391 Henry St., Cobble Hill,
Brooklyn, 718-243-2522
$2.50-$14

Another small-plate specialist, Bocca Lupo serves antipasti including salads, cheeses and cured meats. The bruschette come topped with mounds of savory flavors such as spring peas, mascarpone and prosciutto, or gorgonzola, roasted tomato and balsamic vinegar. A selection of mini sandwiches completes the menu. Try the wonderfully earthy truffled egg salad and asparagus tramezzino.