La Mela — Restaurant in New York

What a strange recent review I just read that prompted me to write to write this! Small portions!?!? Poor quality!?! High prices?!? I truly believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinions and this is why we have forums like this to express those opinions! But let’s just confirm some facts….. thousands of reviews across many platforms and I would like to know how many reviews state POOR QUALITY? Even if you have never been to Lamela- fact is that restaurants in NYC don’t last very long if the quality of their food is “poor”. Poor quality leads to zero patronage leads to not being able to pay rent leads to a restaurant closing. That is just a fact! Sure- to each his own but quality wise? 20 years+ of eating here and knowing personally dozens and dozens of big families who have been eating here for years as well….. the quality of the food has never been anything but spot on! From the fresh bread to the salads and apps and pastas and meats…..quality is not something lacking at La Mela! Start out with the freshly baked crusty Italian bread and slather with butter or better yet… some olive oil and balsamic vinegar mixed with grated cheese and black pepper…. Mix that in your dish and dip away! That is what I love to do!….. have a house salad with the greenest of greens and the sweetest of tomatoes in the house garlicky dressing !! YES! Next up order a caprese salad - fresh soft handmade mozzarella basil and those sweet tomatoes again always hits the spot! Can’t forget some baked clams and fried calamari…. Be sure to dip your bread in the clam sauce from the baked clams and the marinara and basil sauce served with the fried calamari! Those are my go to’s always and portions are the opposite of small!!! Go and see for yourself ….. even in the many pics you can find online those are accurate portion sizes and you will never leave here feeling hungry….. I can go on and on about so many other dishes I love ( and always have to take food home because there is too much!!) fettuccine Alfredo made with fresh pasta- creamy cheesy and better than I have ever had. Period. Chicken dishes? What to choose!?! Go for the parmigiana or the francese! Old-school Italian recipes and the flavor profiles shine through every time! There are so many more dishes that I can speak on but I think you should go and try them for yourself. Don’t forget to end the meal with an Italian array of desserts all in one platter… Why should we have to choose just one, right?🥰 the drinks flow- wine is abundant and the pricing?? I am posting their family style menu/ please know these prices are insane for a NYC restaurant! You have a choices of $40,$50 or $60 per person menus - these are family style!! TONS OF FOOD!! What about their lunch specials—— find any other restaurant in NYC that have such an affordable delicious deal!? I challenge you!….. quality, pricing, portions- never have been an issue at La Mela. There is only ONE BIG ISSUE I have with La Mela—- and that is their expectations that I can eat ALL THAT when the plates start coming to the table! 🥳 but again— they never frown about doggie bags and I always leave with a few ( that never goes to my doggie btw lol)……there’s an Italian saying that is “ Il cibo è il linguaggio dell'amore." Food is the language of love….. head to Le Mela and trust me…. YOU WILL...

This review isn't to complain about the food but the blatant disrespect, harrassment, and maltreatment I experienced yesterday for my baby shower/ nursing graduation event. I came to La Mela because my mother hosted her wedding lunch here with 17 people back in April. I had a great time back then and thought I would experience the same thing for myself for my baby shower/ college graduation lunch. I had a reservation for 2pm and arrived on time at 1:50pm with 3 of my 16 guests. By 2:02 PM the waiter was already hounding me asking where the rest of my group was. I told them they were running late and we were just waiting for them to begin ordering. I was persistently asked how many people are coming for them to then take away plates and utensils from the table. I dont know why this was necessary. By 2:05pm the waiter said to me "I dont know why your party is late, there are no delays on the train" (actually there were massive delays on the train and even leaving early I had to wait 15 minutes for the A train. It was also the Pride Parade). The waiters kept looking at me and my table, eyeing us if were homeless people in there store. I felt extremely anxious the whole time and couldnt enjoy the people that WERE on time because I just felt the waiter HOUNDING ME AND STARING THE ENTIRE TIME. Not to mention his attitude and eye rolling. To get the waiters off my back, we ordered appetizers and drinks. By 2:30pm we began ordering off the lunch special for the waiter to make a comment how the special was ending in 10 minutes which was a complete lie because on the website it says it ends at 3pm. This was also the first time we were served water or bread, AFTER 40 minutes of our arrival. What does it cost them to serve bread or water? Eventually my guest starting trickling in and by 3pm we were all there. Some people missed the lunch special but that wasnt an issue. They ordered off the regular menu. After my guest arrived late, despite us ordering food and alcohol, the waiter persisted with an attitude and eye rolling. Unprofessional and childish. I forgot the mention the restraunt was empty and not busy at all, so I dont understand why he was so pushy with me. This treatment continued until we left around 4:40pm. I have pictures of me and my friends with the waiters STARING at us in the background. We paid $500 in cash and It was extremely upsetting because not only am I 9 months pregnant, but within the last 2 months my family had spent almost $1300 at La Mela. In my eyes this is unacceptable to be treated in such a horrible way. I did not enjoy my baby shower at all simply because of the attitude, pushiness, staring, and snarky comments made by the staff. I went home feeling profiled maybe because I was young, dark skin, & Hispanic(as many as the other members of my group). I dont know what their problem was but I will never be returning to this place nor will I ever reccomend it to anyone. Your staff needs sensitivity training and needs to learn PATIENCE and the ability to hold back their rude comments. La mela, you have severely disappointed me and left a special day that will forever be ruined when I look back and think of...

At first glimpse, La Mela comes off looking a bit casual...drop tile ceilings, Katz's Delicatessen-style bright florescent lighting, walls lined with random photos, and an odd penile-shaped sausage that lights up when you jerk its string...yup. Upon closer inspection though, you'll see one mouthwatering plate coming out after another, and another glimpse at those pictures on the walls reveals all the celebrities that dined at La Mela prior.

Our party of nine was seated promptly at our 8pm reservation on a Friday night. Our server was beyond amazing...he gave us a quick run-through of the menu, which basically consists of either three, four, or five course family style dinners (priced at $22, $26, or $30pp, respectively), and the a-la-carte entree offerings, most ranging from $10-$18 per dish. A strolling minstrel meandered with his guitar through the seating area, singing and playing soft songs table-side...a welcome addition to the whole experience.

All but one in our group opted for the four-course shared family style dinner, but we all left stuffed to the brim after three hours of marathon eating. We started off with thick slabs of fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and basil, then moved on to a hot antipasto plate consisting of fried mozzarella, stuffed mushrooms, grilled asparagus, and sautéed red peppers. There was plenty of everything to go around, and our ever-so-patient server checked up on us, asking when we'd like to proceed with our feast.

Next came a clean set of plates followed by the pastas - succulent gnocchi doused with cheese, soft cheese tortellini in a cream/Alfredo sauce, and perfectly-cooked rigatoni in a traditional chunky marinara sauce. My favorite part of this plate was getting three different pastas AND three different sauces, so you really get a good taste of everything they have to offer at La Mela.

Finally, after another set of clean plates came the fourth course - remember, it's a measly $4 more than the three-course family style, and a no-brainer move in my book. We were treated to an assortment of proteins - juicy veal cutlets pounded paper thin and served francese style, plump shrimp in a medium-spice marinara sauce, and (the popular favorite), and some crispy rotisserie chicken pieces served "straight up."

If I didn't make it clear enough, let me say that every damn bite was AMAZING! It's no wonder La Mela gets a tremendous amount of business, but despite all that, our experience felt extremely "comfortable" - never rushed or the slightest bit pretentious. Our waiter constantly checked up on us every step of the way, always asking us when we were ready to move on to the next course.

After all the food and everything, our split of the check came to under $50 per person, with tax and a generous gratuity appropriately included. As if that weren't enough, two of us left with at least a meal's worth each of...