La Taverna!

My girl Justine and I got a chance to catch up over some spaghetti last week at La Taverna.  I have been wanting to dine there ever since it took over the space that used to be a Polish book store about a year ago on the corner of Java Street and Manhattan Avenue.  While we had the pleasure of meeting the manager Gino and getting recommendations from him.

La Taverna, though small, has great natural light which makes the space seem large and inviting to guests.  The ambiance is as warm as the people working there and you are greeted with immediate service.  Their menu is vast and the portions are big.  We opted for garlic bread and deep fried veggies with marinara dipping sauce for our appetizer, both of which were delicious and left little room for our entrees. 

I dined on angel hair while Justine got lemon chicken.  Both meals were sufficiently butter-and-garlic-y and we nearly needed to be rolled out of the restaurant when we had finished.

La Taverna serves up (very) reasonably priced pizzeria-style cuisine.  If you have one more day until your paycheck is direct deposited and are low on funds, you can get yourself a plate of pasta of Mt. Etna proportions at La Taverna for under $10 and still have some for lunch the next day.  Anything remotely Italian can be found on the menu which makes me almost want to categorize their food as comfort-Italian.  It was certainly hard to make a choice on what to have, so a second trip back is definitely in store.

Gino is most likely be there when you go, so expect to be entertained.  He has an infinite supply of jokes which kept us laughing our entire meal.  As we were leaving, he offered up a joke I feel like I have retold 100 times since we ate there – what do you call fake spaghetti? IMPASTA!!

La Taverna
946 Manhattan Ave
(between Kent St & Java St)
(718) 383-0732