A Local Pizzaiolo’s Tour of the Best Restaurants in NYC

Mangieri starts his day with a cycle around town to clear his head, before getting a slice of cheesecake at Veniero’s Pasticceria e Caffé, a dessert that he’s been enjoying for more than 30 years. The Sicilian-style cake is made with alternating layers of sponge cake soaked in rum, maraschino cherries, and a dense cannoli cream, encased in a buttery pie dough. Mangieri talks about the history behind the cheesecake, which is cooked in a. century-old underground oven. “You can’t fake that kind of stuff, that comes from years of hard work, and repetition, and passion, and family, and it really touches me,” he says.

He then makes his way to Hearth, for one of his favorite burgers. The restaurant is rooted in Tuscan culinary traditions, but with plenty of American spins. The Variety Burger literally uses a variety of meats: beef heart, liver, brisket, bone marrow, and beef chuck are ground into a thick patty that is topped with fontina cheese from Italy and caramelized onions. “To me its insane that this burger is not on the top of every burger list in the United States,” he says, noting that the burger transcends the traditional idea of a burger and is one of the most incredible meals he’s had.

Next is D. Coluccio & Sons, a sandwich shop and market that has been distributing cheese, tomatoes, and olive oil directly imported from Italy since 1978. Mangieri goes shopping, highlighting some of his favorites for cooking at home or to inspire new dishes at the restaurant.

Finally, Mangieri makes it to his final stop at Casa Enrique. Chef and owner Cosme Aguilar takes him into the kitchen for a look behind the scenes. Mangieri and his family then dig into tacos, enchiladas, and a spicy shrimp dish. “There’s just a lot of layers of flavor going on, everything is really thoughtful, you can taste each ingredient, and I think that’s kind of a commonality in everything we experienced today on our day off, and that’s kind of the way I eat,” he says.

Watch the most recent episode of Chef’s Day Off to see how chef Anthony Mangieri spends his day off at his favorite restaurants, bakeries, and shops around New York City.