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As soon as you walk up the stairs at Quality Italian, a host will greet you and you’ll barely be able to hear what the hell they’re saying. That’s because this restaurant is loud—like “we considered texting a question to someone sitting right across from us” loud.
We don’t say this to discourage you from coming here. All the food is solid at this Midtown spot, which has a wide-ranging Italian menu that will likely please even the pickiest diner. Like a lot of places in this part of town, Quality Italian serves entrées with prices that start with a “3” or a “4.” The portions are large though, so bring a group (which ideally includes someone with a corporate card). That way, you can share some big dishes and shout at each other for a few hours like everyone else here.
Despite the name, this place bills itself as a steakhouse, and the nicely-cooked dry-aged prime sirloin is one of the best things here. (This is a Quality Branded restaurant after all. They typically do meat well.) There are also a few other options, like a New York strip and a double tomahawk steak that’ll set you back $165. Italian items make up the rest of the menu, and standouts include the fried calamari with bacon and parmesan and the rigatoni alla vodka (flambéed tableside) with Calabrian chilies and a ton of lobster.
As long as you don’t mind some serious crowd noise, think of Quality Italian the next time you need to do dinner in Midtown with a few other people in an informal setting. The space is huge and feels like a warehouse that’s been converted to an industrial loft with rustic modern furniture. Since you’ll likely leave stuffed, plan an early meal here so you can take a long walk in Central Park (just two blocks away) while the sun is going down.
Food Rundown
Homemade Ricotta
Crispy Calamari Casino
Spicy Lobster Rigatoni Alla Vodka
photo credit: Kenny Yang
Bone-In Dry-Aged Prime Sirloin
Mediterranean Branzino
photo credit: Kenny Yang