In New York, an Italian meal doesn’t just consist of spaghetti and meatballs, served with a slice of garlic bread. Menus include authentic items, such as Sicilian cannoli, spumoni ice-cream cakes and tender, cured meats.

New York offers a medley of Italian restaurants, ranging from the usual neighborhood joints in the Bronx to the rowdy eateries of Little Italy. Natives can dine on northern Italian or southern Italian cuisines. They can also choose from Mediterranean Italian, Italian-American, organic Italian and Roman-Jewish dishes.

While Little Italy is probably the place to go for the most authentic Italian fare, New York has a long list of Italian restaurants located in other neighborhoods. Carroll Gardens, for one, boasts a wide selection of brick-walled pizzerias and ristorantes. Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen restaurants offer Italian-style cooking with eclectic ambiences. And, Morning Heights’ charming restaurants serve up true Italian meals with the traditional New York-Italian appeal.

There are hundreds of Italian restaurants in New York. Each restaurant has its own unique draw. With such a vast selection, it will definitely be difficult to pick your favorite.