Dominick's — Restaurant in New York

In a traditional Italian-American neighborhood (called Arthur Avenue) near Fordham University and The Bronx Zoo in The Bronx, NY, is an old school Italian restaurant that serves from a menu that is only proudly recited by the waiters, often with delightfully wry Bronx humor. There will be an array of chef's choices offered as specials -- but of course if you have a favorite meal, you can always ask. The wine is served in unpretentious little wine glasses and you or your group may be seated on one of two floors at long tables. On busy days, the din of multi-generational groups (it's kid noises friendly), tourists and neighbors lends it a sparky, lively, cafe atmosphere where everyone seems to have a smile for the groups at the next tables. If you prefer a quieter or romantic outing, try to stop by on a weekday or when weather is colder. (Over 30 years, I have occasionally seen lines running out the door and up the block on weekends, since many urban insiders know it's well worth it. ) Three of us spent $150 for everything (wine) but dessert. We ordered appetizers to chow on with the bread that's brought to the table and a simple leafy green salad. Entrees included perfectly tender calimari in a marinara, plump meatballs and fresh linguine and a somewhat complex bolognese sauce on pasta -- and all in generous portions. (Be sure to bring cash). After dinner at Dominick's, you'll want to stop by Gino's Bakery to stock up on everything from sesame almond biscotti to layered pastries that are inscribed in frosting on the top -- 'Chaz'. This is one of the pastries that has been a favorite of Gino's most famous (almost most famous?) customers, Chaz Palmieri, and several are often reserved for his visit later in the afternoon. We ran into Mr. Palmieri, screenwriter (A Bronx Tale) and actor, at the dizzyingly abundant green market across the street. We didn't want to bother him, but snapped a quick photo.

Every visit to Arthur Avenue is an adventure of a new kind (we often get fresh pasta or a crusty fresh-baked bread, mascarpone and fennel -- or we'll pick out gifts that might include imported Italian sausages, prosciutto and cheeses.) This is a daytrip that still offers an authentic New York neighborhood experience that will make your heart sing. Oh, street parking, as you might guess, is in demand but we have always found a spot so far, some days closer than others. Be sure...

Disappointing Experience at Dominick’s Restaurant

Our party of eight (four adults, four children) had high hopes for an authentic Italian meal, but Dominick’s fell short in nearly every way.

The meal started with decent bread and low-quality olive oil. We ordered two servings of baked clams ($25 each), but one clam was rotten, nearly making me sick. The fried calamari ($21 each) was bland, lacking seasoning and crispiness, with a marinara sauce that tasted processed.

The ziti with broccoli rabe and sausage ($24) was flavorless, seemingly thrown together without care. The sausage resembled canned Vienna sausages—unappetizing and unworthy of an Italian restaurant. The veal parmigiana ($23) was the best dish of the night, but that’s not saying much. It was edible, though the linguine served with it was bland. The linguine with meatballs ($22) was so bad that even the kids wouldn’t eat it.

I ordered lamb chops medium rare ($38). While cooked correctly, they tasted like frozen meat thrown straight onto the grill. The overcooked fingerling potatoes didn’t help. The chicken sorrentino ($23) was just chicken and mushrooms in the same processed-tasting marinara sauce—uninspired and overpriced.

Service was mediocre, the restaurant only accepted cash, and the atmosphere felt more like an SNL skit than a true Italian dining experience. To make matters worse, I ended up with food poisoning.

For the prices, the portions were small, and the quality was abysmal. If you’re looking for Italian food in the Bronx, Carmine’s is a much better option. I...

Can only give two stars because we didn’t get a chance to order. Wont give one because Im sure the food is delicious.

Came in to a half full dining room, so thought we got lucky after hearing so many good reviews about food and service. We had our son with us and was told there were no high chairs, that was okay - he was asleep and we’d figure it out. So we sit and wait, look over the menu, wait some more. We start looking around, see some of the wait staff walking up to the bar to talk. A few more minutes go by, our orders still arent taken. Another patron, clearly a regular, walks in. He’s seated immediately. Within five minutes he has bread, a drink, and a salad all prepared and in front of him. We are still sitting right across from him with only our drinks, still waiting to place our order. Finally someone notices us, and tells us theres no more linguini. That was pretty much it for me, and we left.

If you plan to make your patrons wait the least you can do is let them know an item isn’t available. And clearly putting what would have been well paying patrons to the side so a regular can get his salad is so off putting. We ended up going to Enzos, and had one of the best meals we’ve...