PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

The Lower East Side was once the home to many Kosher wine factories, but you'll find only Italian wines at cozy 'inoteca. The list is over 250 bottles long, but even better are the exquisitely prepared small plates that complement the wines. Though the Italian-language menu is a challenge, servers are helpful in translating. The panini stand out in their freshness and their delicacy, with the coppa (a spicy cured ham) with hot peppers and rucola (arugula) being the standout. The tramezzini, a crustless sandwich, is nothing like the crustless sandwiches served at high tea. Here, among other things, you can have yours stuffed with tuna and chick peas or with pollo alla diavola, spicy shredded pieces of dark-meat chicken. The "Fritto" section includes a wonderful mozzarella in corroza, breaded mozzarella stuffed with a juicy anchovy sauce and lightly fried. Whatever you order, don't rush; 'inoteca is a place to go slow, to savor both wine and food.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New York City 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»