Forlini's Restaurant

Italian / $$

93 Baxter St. south of Canal St.
6, J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z trains to Canal St.
(212) 349-6779

7 days, noon-midnight
Reservations recommended
Takeout available, no delivery
Visa, MC, AmEx, Discover, Diner's

Removed from the Italian restaurant row along Mulberry Street, Forlini's hides its light under bushel, if you think of Chinatown as a rather large bushel. It's always a good sign when we see cops stopping by for takeout and eightysomething people who have known the place for decades reminiscing about avoiding the summer heat on the fire escapes and rooftops of the Lower East Side. The prix fixe dinner offers an excellent table of contents. You get all of the following: a medley of hot shellfish appetizers, three kinds of fresh-made pasta including gnocchi in pesto sauce, a stuffed jumbo shrimp, veal picata, chicken marsala, and choices of dessert, hot beverage, and a little nip for the road (sambuca, anisette, or amaretto). The place is big, with multiple dining rooms and parking next door, and the leather-bound menu pays tribute to the heroes of 9-11.

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