Emilio's Ballato

"If you live within walking distance of Nolita, know that Emilio’s Ballato is now taking pick-up orders by phone. Their menu changes almost everyday, and they’re recommending that you place orders in advance - which simply means more time to get excited about chicken parm, spaghetti, and meatballs. Just call 212-274-8881." - hannah albertine

"Swift has visited Emilio’s Ballato “more than once” over the past few weeks, a source close to the restaurant confirms. And it “100 percent” has made the line longer out in front of the restaurant at the no-reservations spot. Emilio’s is a scene, the kind of place where you’re sure to see someone famous, regardless. Start with a glass of house red or white. Make sure you try that focaccia (Emilio started as a baker). Order a plate of red peppers. Consider the tripe. Move on to linguine with white clam sauce. Share a plate of fennel sausage and broccoli rabe, or the veal Milanese." - Melissa McCart

"If you told owner Emilio Sr. his restaurant was in Little Italy—it’s just north, on Houston—he might blacklist you from the (constantly long) line forever. But red sauce is a state of mind, and for a classic New York Italian experience, there’s no better option than this vintage 1956 restaurant. Expect a wait at the celebrity-swarmed hotspot, which regularly entertains the likes of Taylor Swift and Barack Obama with big platters of buttery baked clams and off-menu veal parm smothered in vodka sauce. Come with a group and let a server convince you to do things “family style.” That just means taking the dishes and their prices and multiplying both, liberally." - molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, bryan kim

"The Dish: Baked Clams  Once you’re mentally prepared to wait in line for a table at Emilio's Ballato, there are a few things you should do. Come early on a weekday, bring a group, and say yes to doing things family style, which really just means taking the dishes and their prices, and multiplying them both, liberally. That way, you’ll receive an astounding number of baked clams, swimming in a pool of parsley-studded sauce, which you can return to again and again throughout your meal. They remain crisp, even when you eat your very last one right before dessert." - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, neha talreja

"At old-school Italian restaurants across the city, free bread is a right, and baked clams are law. But Emilio’s Ballato, a celebrity-strewn hotspot in Nolita, the free bread takes everything a notch up. It’s focaccia, with a sweet, brick-red tomato sauce baked into it." - bryan kim, neha talreja, sonal shah, willa moore, will hartman