Tazzina
“The Braised Short Ribs continue to be sublime served over a lovely polenta.”
“Jason is a culinary wizard and his new kingdom on Metropolitan ups the ante on the highly competitive street of restaurants.”
“My fiance had the chicken under a brick scarpariello style with peppers sausage on a bed of creamy polenta.”
Tazzina
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
This is a great spot along Metropolitan Ave. My best friend has been going to Tazzina ever since it was in Glendale. She highly recommended the restaurant and I can see why. I have been to this nice restaurant twice already and I love it. The first time it was a sit down dinner. My best friend made an rsvp and we were treated well. The staff was exceptionally friendly and knowledgable. I believe the restaurant had just opened and all were on their A game. I was impressed. We were greeted upon entering by Sandy. What a great guy and waiter. We waited a few for our table to be ready. The decor is very modern with an ode to classics. Very nice. Our waiter was great. Upon ordering, they brought us a plate of flatbread with a crushed olives spread. Omg deliciousness. We ordered for the appetizer the char grilled octupus. It was delectable. Immensely flavorful and tender. Did not know that octupus can be as great as that. Chef Jason Zukas set the bar high for the rest of the night. And did he deliver. Yes he did! We ordered drinks. We got the bamboo lounge and the sicilian sunrise. Awesome drinks. The sicilian sunrise became my best friends favorite. It was strong just the way she likes them. On the other hand my favorite was the bamboo lounge, sweet and strong. My best friend as per her usual ordered the braised short ribs with polenta and I ordered linguine neri with shrimp and calamari. It was delicious. Omg so good. We were very happy we came for the opening. Of course we ordered another round of drinks and unfortunately had no room for dessert. Ive heard the desserts are amazing. I believe it. Our experience was amazing. It was a pleasure to finally meet Chef Jason Zukas. It was a great beginning to a wonderful night.
Now for last night my second time there, we ended the night at Tazzina, as per my suggestion. 🙂 Great times. We wanted to try the watermelon sangria and what better night than ladies night at Tazzina. We tried to rush there since the restaurant would close in an hr. We made it. We were immediately greeted warmly by Chef Jason Zukas. It is always a pleasure. He is such a great and hard working guy, such a great chef. So we sat at the bar this time. We ordered the watermelon sangria and omg was it refreshing. I was enamored. I honestly believe it is the best sangria I have ever had. So fruity, strong yet light. If that can be said in one sentence. Ha. And it was Chef Jason's own creation. Wow amazing. We had eaten a lil prior but we wanted to eat at Tazzina. We had room. So we ordered apps, the char grilled octupus and grandma's meatballs. Within no time, the apps were served for us to enjoy pipping hot. That is great service. Omg the char grilled octupus was once again oh so tender deliciously flavorful and with the addition of the tomatoes was out of this world. Then we went for the grandma's meatballs. It had a dolop of ricotta cheese and also 2 slices of bread. It was so melt in your mouth good and flavorful. The sauce was delicious and the ricotta added a great touch to the dish.
Beauty is love and you can tell Chef Jason Zukas puts love into what he makes. The dishes are beautifully presented. You definitely have to try Tazzina. I highly recommend it. Its a must.
"Closed???? What do you mean closed????" Imagine my shocked face when my wife told me that our new spot Tazzina version 1.0 had closed. It must have been a mistake they were so good. Now imagine my relief that they were only moving. Cue Happy Dance. Then picture my elation that they had finally re-opened and in time for my wife and i to enjoy an anniversary dinner.
I like Tazzina because it always made me feel like I was at home. They pictures hanging on the wall, the good music, the loud atmosphere ( hey, we're Italian and we're super loud), the friendly service and most importantly the food is always amazing.
Luckily this version of Tazzina is even better than the first. My one and only complaint is that I picked the night when the changed the menu so all my carefully planned meal choices were laid to waste. It's really more for time conservation as i have been know to look at a menu forever. With the help of our waiter I was able to make a few choices quickly. One note about the bar, they have stepped up their game tremendously. I had one of the best Negroni's I've ever had. The Knickerbocker wasn't too shabby either
We had the following:
Baked Clams Oreganata :Simply divine. And the sauce/broth they were in was so good I would drink it with a straw.
Broiled Octopus: Coked perfectly and had great flavor, I would have loved a little bigger portion.
My wife had the Fluke Francese and it was amazing. Perfect;ly cooked and the sauce it was in was again straw worthy.
I decided on the tripe. Before you judge you should have it. This was cooked exactly like grandma would have. Braised to an unbelievable tenderness and the bacon added a nice dimension of flavor to the dish.
we finished our meal off with The Gelato trio that was 4 because we couldn't decide and they were heavenly.
I am glad that Tazzina is back and so glad that once again my wife and i were welcomed back to Chef Zukas' home. Simply amazing meal and we can't wait to come back again. If you're looking for a place to enjoy a great meal, made with care, do yourself a favor and come to Tazzina.
My brother and I took my Mother and Aunt for dinner on Mother's Day, and Tazzina provided us with a great meal and a day that we will remember with happy memories. They had no problem in accommodating an additional guest in our party, and were very patient with us as we went back and forth with the menu, unsure of what to order as everything sounded terrific. Our waitress was a funny little thing who was very quirky and pleasant, and who obliged our repeated requests for picture taking until we got one we all liked.
We all shared the octopus, grandma's meatballs and one of the special appetizers of the day, the trout salad. While the meatballs were certainly the most abundant of the three appetizers, I have to say that the trout salad and the octopus were particularly excellent. The trout was topped with a breaded, poached egg that when cut open, served as a very rich and creamy dressing. Excellent!
We all ordered different entrees and were able to do a bit of sampling between us. We ordered the branzino, the short ribs over polenta, zuppa di pesci and short rib gnocchi. Everything was great. I personally had the gnocchi and ordered it because I had heard that the chef was particularly skilled at making gnocchi. And he was: I enjoyed this version more than any previous time that I have ordered it. But, I also realized that I don't think gnocchi is really for me. Had I had to do it over again, I think I would have ordered the lobster penne. But, that it a matter of personal preference and in no way reflects the quality of the dish. Unfortunately, we were too full to enjoy dessert but I hope to return soon.
Went to Tazzina for the first time on Friday with some friends. We were promptly seated when we arrived at 6:30. The restaurant was quite empty upon arrival. However, as the hours rolled by, the restaurant was full. We ordered a couple of drinks, all of which were delicious (I recommend the sangria and the "Goodfella"). I'm a vegetarian and I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were some plates for me to choose from. I ordered the Pasta Siciliana, which was delicious. The savory pasta plate seemed small, but was very satisfying. My husband ordered the "Chicken Under a Brick", which he said was well cooked and flavorful. The plates are a bit more expensive when compared to your neighborhood Italian restaurant, but well worth the price if you're looking for something a little more upscale.
Never thought I'd ever find this awesome place! Tucked between all the other mediocre stores and restaurants along Metropolitan Avenue, I assure you that Tazzina is not your typical American/Italian restaurant found in Queens.The atmosphere and interior decor serve multi-purposes – whether it's casual, comfy and cozy, or elegant and romantic, you won't feel out of place or under/over dressed.
The food here is definitely something to brag. The Herb Roasted Chicken "Under A Brick" is freakin' good! Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside! I'd recommend Lobster alla Vodka for any pasta lovers who like spicy as well. Besides PT Restaurant in Williamsburg-Brooklyn that serves similar spicy pasta sauce, Tazzina is the only place where you'd get to taste this sauce. To wrap up the night with something sweet (besides your honey ;)), I'd go with Affogato and Panna Cotta.
Plus, extra star for attentive/friendly service, and awesome music playlist!
Forgive me for saying I was not as blown away as everyone else.
1st, food was very good although under-seasoned, and aren't we a bit cocky with no salt and pepper on the table? Out of a group of 7, we all needed a bit of salt which was not a big deal.
2nd, portions were kind of small. We're a group of 7, we order 3 apps to share, meatball was great (don't tell my mom), coldcut and cheese platter also great. Octopus also great BUT, ONE FUCKING TENTICLE???? Are u serious? And God Forbid the waiter informed us this wasn't enough for the table to share. We each got a 1" piece…. For $16? That aggravated me.
3rd, I'm not sure what's up w this wait staff, they LOVE clearing the tables. Twice they snatched drinks which were not finished from my wife, once we caught them in time to stop them, the 2nd time we didn't. They did it w dishes too. Our cold-cut and cheese app platter still had a few slices left, they just came and took it, didn't ask if we wanted to finish…. Just snatched it off the table.
Summary… Food was fixed a a little salt. Portions are a bit stingy. Keep an eye on your glasses and dishes or they may be snatched from your grips. Despite my complaints I still think Tazzina should be given a shot. Overall it was an enjoyable evening.
Seriously amazing meal.
On weeknights they have a prix fixe. $30 for 3 courses. Not gonna lie it was the best deal I have come across in a long time. Portions were big and food was top notch.
The food was as good as any Italian I have had in years.
First course
Gnocchi with Mushrooms – I don't like mushrooms but I love gnocchi. There wasn't a mushroom or gnocchi left in my bowl. It was great
Caesar salad – not just a salad. Everything was great and you could taste how fresh it was.
Fried seafood – giant portion but the spicy aioli stole the dish. These are the little things that make Tazzina not your typical Italian place. He could have put red sauce on the plate and it would be a very good dish. The spicy Aioli made it amazing.
Second Course –
Linguine and Mussels – very good. Simple dish that was far from simple.
Chicken dish – I tried a bite and my cousin loved it.
Pan seared pork – amazing. The pork was perfect and the sauce was spicy deliciousness.
Dessert –
Nutella Lava Cake – 5/5 the cake was perfect and the gelato that come with it was a perfect complement to the warm lava.
Panna Cotta – typically my favorite Italian dessert. It is simple and fresh. This was as good as any I have had.
Can't wait to come back.
We dined here last Saturday evening and had a terrific meal. Our reservation was for 7:00PM and – despite the frigid temps outside – the restaurant was packed. We arrived a few minutes early and (understandably) had to wait for a table to become available. We may have waited at most 5-10 minutes past our reservation time but that was fine. The bartender came out to us and asked if we'd like to order a drink while we waited. We politely declined but it was nice that she would come over to us to ask.
As for the interior, it's not a huge venue and the tables are on the smallish side. That being said, we didn't feel like we were on top of the next table and we were able to carry a conversation without feeling like the neighboring table was listening in. The music, too, helped by providing a little "cover" so that you couldn't easily hear or be heard by those right next to you. The walls & deep red paint made for a cozy and warm environment.
Soon after we sat down, our server brought out a plate of warm, grilled pita bread cut into easy-to-eat strips, accompanied by an olive tapenade/oil. I'm a huge fan of olives so I loved it, especially with the smokiness of the pita bread to balance out the saltiness of the olive.
For appetizers, we had the beet salad and a crab cake. The beet salad was awesome and well balanced with delightful little goat cheese fritters, some grapefruit, and hazelnuts topped with arugula and just enough balsamic dressing. The whole thing was well put together. If I had a solitary complaint it's that the beets were diced a little too small for my preference and made it a little tough to stab with my work. No biggie though – I just my knife to help guide it onto my fork and make for faster "loading". The crab cake (a special that evening) was accompanied by a delicate tartar sauce smear and crispy slaw with a nice bite to it, to offset the pungency of the crab.
For my main course, I had the chicken parmigiana which I have to say was some of the best I've had recently. The cutlet was just thick enough and not overly breaded.The mozzarella/provolone combo was wonderfully salty and perfectly melted on. The arrabiata sauce was the perfect sidekick and I love the perfect spiciness of it. I'm not a fan of sweeter marinara sauces so this was right up my alley. It was sizable but didn't make me feel gross afterwards, especially since I polished off the whole plate!
My wife had the oreccchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage. It was a lighter dish than mine and just fine in my opinion but it couldn't stand up to the punch and heft of my chicken parmigiana. I would have enjoyed well enough if I were in the mood and hadn't already been raving over my chicken.
For dessert we shared a nice apple tart that was topped with cinnamon. It was neither too heavy nor too sweet and satisfied our sweet tooth.
The dress code here is casual so you can get away with wearing something nice if you're celebrating something or come dressed in comfy jeans if you just want to be more relaxed. We saw couple wearing their Valentine's Weekend best and others who were in much more casual attire. None looked out of place however.
The pricing is also on point and the menu is diverse enough to offer something for everyone.
Our server (whose name I forgot to grab) was attentive, very knowledgeable about the menu, and very helpful. He easily rattled off about 6-8 specials for the evening but didn't make us feel like we had to go for any of them…even though the crab cakes and dessert he described did entice us to try them.
Tazzina, we hope to see you again soon!