La Lanterna di Vittorio

If you’ve spent any amount of time walking near Washington Square Park, you’ve probably passed by this Italian restaurant’s green awning without even thinking about it. Unlike 95% of the restaurants in Greenwich Village, it has a big, greenhouse-like outdoor patio in the back. Whenever we’ve gone here, most of the people around us have been tourists taking a break from holding Saint Laurent and Nike bags but that's OK. Stop by for some pasta and some wine in a quiet, unexpected little place in a busy neighborhood - the lasagna here is pretty good.

photo credit: Emily Schindler