A girlfriend of mine recommended this little Italian place on Northern Blvd that we would have never discovered without her suggestion. My husband is from Italy so it’s never easy finding an Italian restaurant that isn’t too “Americanized” or “old-fashioned Italian”. Vespa Cibobuono not only exceeded our expectations but has become our go-to date night spot.
In fact, this past weekend was our 6th wedding anniversary. We wanted to go somewhere special so we made a reservation at a fancy steak house. I was a little hesitant about spending the money but reluctantly agreed. As we drove there, we noticed Vespa was open! It had been closed for several months and we feared they would never re-open. As we drove we decided to ditch our plans and head there for our Anniversary celebration.
As we walked towards the entrance we spotted Marco, the owner, through the windows. He came over to greet us and gave me a big hug and two kisses. We hadn’t seen him since our baby girl’s Baptism when we had come to the restaurant with our family and friends for a wonderful afternoon. Marco told us that he had recently taken over the restaurant and had been renovating.
Our meal was fantastic. We asked if they could make us a pizza topped with arugula, which was delicious, and my husband was in the mood for steak (as that’s where we were headed) and they were able to fulfill his request. When looking back, I don’t think my husband has ever ordered anything that was actually on the menu. He simply tells Marco (or whoever is helping us) what he’s in the mood for and they create something magnificent in the kitchen for his meal. It’s very reminiscent of our visits to Italy. When eating out in Italy we typically have the owner or chef tell us what they are cooking for the night and they give us a choice of a handful of meals they can prepare for us. Vespa is similar. We feel like we’re visiting family or close friends whenever we eat there.
Vespa Cibobouno is a modern Italian restaurant. They are located at 96 Northern Boulevard in Great Neck, NY. You can visit their website at http://www.vespacibobuono.com/. And receive a free dessert with a print-out of this page. Limit one per table. Ask for Marco, he’ll take care of you. 🙂
The food looks really good!
Wow, I need to try arugula on my pizza next time. It looks so good.
That looks so fantastic it’s ridiculous!
That pizza looks amazing!
It looks like a great place.
That sounds and looks so good!
That pizza looks great!
YUM. That looks so good! And I love that Vespa, too. I’ve always wanted one.
The food looks yummy!
That looks yummy!
Yum! I love Italian food!
I love little restaurants like that! Everything looks great.
I need to visit this restaurant. It sounds like you had an amazing time.
That looks good. I love a good meal.
Well, look who lives in my neck of the woods 🙂 It looks like you live near me, and I eat everywhere here. I can’t believe I never heard of this place! (and I do NYC reviews)…thanks for the review, maybe hubby and I can check it out one day.
Looks delicious!
one day I’ll visit Italy… one day. Until then, I just have to enjoy amazing food like this from
Oh that looks good!
When I read the title I thought you were going to talk about the bikes – boy was I surprised when it was food you were talking about. Can I just say I want a Vespa bike?
What a perfect evening, and I love that they tailored your meals just for you. Looks unbelievably delicious!
Happy belated anniversary!
The best Italian food I’ve ever eaten has certainly been while visiting NY! Hopefully I can compare it to the cuisine in Italy someday.