The Eat Sheet: Former 'The Sopranos' star Vincent Pastore names his top 5 Italian Restaurants in New York

The actor, now appearing on VH1's 'Famous Food,' tells THR the best places in the Big Apple to eat Italiano

Vincent Pastore best known for his role of Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero on the The Sopranos is now part of VH1's newest show Famous Food. Pastore appears with Real Housewives of New Jersey star Danelle Staub, former Bachelor Jake Pavelka, singer Ashley Dupree, Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul and Juicy J, and The Hills star Heidi Montag as they compete for a partnership stake in The Dolce Group’s newest restaurant Lemon Basket.
The Dolce Group’s Mike Malin and Lonnie Moore, known for such L.A. Spots as Geisha House and Ketchup, oversee the celebrities as they work to open a new restaurant and at the end of the show, if the spot is turning a profit, one of the celebrities will get a stake in the new restaurant.

Watch Famous Food on Vh1 on Wednesdays at 8PM ET/PT.

If you are looking for an Italian restaurant in New York, here is what Pastore recommends:

Rao’s: "The lemon chicken is amazing and I love the restaurant for the family vibe. You can’t always get a table, but when you do you might be sitting next to Rod Stewart or someone else famous." 455 E. 114th St. (Upper East Side)

Il Cortile: "We would have the most amazing Sopranos parties here. They make great fish dishes here, but if you want good calamari you should definitely go here! The calamari melts in your mouth!" 125 Mulberry St. ( Little Italy)

Umbertos Clam House: "This restaurant is in my grandmother’s neighborhood so this place makes me a tad nostalgic… All I can say is the CLAMSSSS!! These clams are just perfect and steamed just right so that they just pop open." 2356 Arthur Ave (Bronx)

La Manda: "This place has had the same vibe for the past 30 years. When my daughter was young I would take her to see them making pizza through the glass window. Its the BEST pizza I have ever had." 251 Tarrytown Rd, White Plains, NY (914) 502-4013

Cha Cha’s: "If I don’t mention Cha Cha’s, he’ll kill me. The food is fantastic and we’ve been hanging out there for 20 years. You can go in there and you’ll run into Danny Aiello, Armand Assante. People always stop in there to say hello to Cha Cha." 113 Mulberry Street (Little Italy)

View the original article here