by Sally Fisher

Sadly, Elio Guaitolini has passed away. Elio was a beloved restaurateur who opened his eponymous East Side restaurant Elio's in 1981. I returned to New York City this same year after attending high school and college in Florence, Italy. In those days Italian food in New York City was limited to the many pizzerias from Naples and Southern Italian restaurants as exemplified by Patsy's or Mamma Leone's. While I grew up in New York City going to Patsy's, for countless family style meals, I also had become spoiled by what we came to refer to as 'Northern Italian ' cuisine.

Elio's became my go-to haunt for great cucina italiana. It was always a treat as I felt like I was suddenly swept back to Italy diving into a great bowl of pasta and becoming part of a dining room atmosphere full of people happy to be at Elio's and savored their moments of dining as one does in Italy.

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Fonte: La Voce di New York