In my work as a travel writer, frequent trips to Italy- say two or three times a year- are par for the course. I’ve been lucky to visit the culturally rich, scenic country so often and have explored destinations within in that are both touristy and undiscovered.  This year, I was due to spend a long weekend in Tuscany in May for a story, but COVID halted my plans. With the pandemic still raging and quarantine rules in place, the prospect of a trip to Italy in the near future is getting unlikelier by the day.

Going to Italy may be out, but having an authentic Italian culinary experience in New York isn’t: enter Piccola Cucina, a gem of a restaurant that opened in June in Manhattan, on East 60^th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues.