Makenzie Hurt / The Hofstra Chronicle
ITA Kitchen serves up delicious Italian dishes at their four Instagram-worthy locations across Long Island. I’ve visited their Garden City location more times than I can count because it offers more than amazing food every time. Before I get into all the other qualities of ITA Kitchen that make it a must-visit spot, I need to sing some praises for the food.
The restaurant serves traditional and modernized Italian dishes that make it difficult to choose just one. Perhaps their most famous appetizer is their Jules’ Carrozza. The dish is a fried Italian grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with mozzarella and smothered with vodka sauce. If you go with a group, you’ll need to order at least two.
It’s easy to fill up on appetizers with their heaping portions and waitstaff that will encourage you to try everything. And if you’re really feeling fancy, order their tableside mozzarella. It’s like going to a Mexican restaurant and ordering tableside guacamole – they hand stretch the mozzarella right in front of you.
I’ve ordered a few different dishes over my visits to ITA Kitchen, so I can confidently say that every dish they serve is excellent. Everyone loves their spicy rigatoni, and the baked chicken parmesan is also a fan favorite – and they’ll even make it with vodka sauce. If you’re anything like me and you love truffles, you’re in luck. ITA’s burrata ravioli is stuffed with ricotta and served in your choice of a decadent truffle cream sauce or their signature vodka sauce.
Another ITA signature is the add-on option to “crown” your dish. If you do, you’ll get a giant slab of fried mozzarella atop your food.
If you aren’t a fan of pasta, they also offer giant salads, chicken, pork, beef and fish dishes. Another popular option for those who don’t like pasta is the ITA smashburger. However, it’s not your typical smashburger: ITA’s comes with two patties stuffed with melted mozzarella, stracciatella cheese and candied prosciutto.
To wash your food down, you can choose from the mouthwatering drink menu. While serving modern takes on classic Italian drinks like limoncello martinis, negronis and aperol spritzes, they also offer espresso martini flights and sangria flights. For an after-dinner drink, don’t hesitate to order the rainbow cookie martini.
As if you couldn’t get any more full by the time you’ve finished your entree, prepare to get dessert. If there’s anything I have to recommend, it’s the cannoli crumb cake. A massive scoop of ricotta is served between two slices of heavenly crumb cake and dusted with powdered sugar. No amount of fullness can stop me from eating that cannoli crumb cake.
They also serve pistachio cheesecake, affogato, tiramisu and fried rainbow cookies. Unfortunately, I’m usually so full by the time I’ve finished my entree that I haven’t been able to try all of their amazing desserts, but it’s definitely on the bucket list.
If you go to ITA on a weekend, dress your best and prepare to get loud. The restaurant transforms into a sit-down club vibe. If it’s a party member’s birthday, you’ll know right away. The music starts to blare and waitstaff dance over to their table with giant sparklers. Everyone has a smile on their face.
Every single member of ITA’s waitstaff, kitchen staff, bartenders and managers are excellent. My go-to waitress, who I won’t be naming, always remembers my group no matter how busy it gets and how long it’s been. She always encourages us to try new things and will customize our orders however we like every time.
The atmosphere also makes for a great experience. In their Garden City location, there is a giant neon sign, perfect for taking photos, that reads “Parmesan Dreams.” The seats are comfortable, the lights are never too bright or too dark, and it’s extremely clean.
My one gripe is that the tables are not always large enough to fit the massive amount of food my friends and I inevitably order. Three people seated at a four-person table still doesn’t give us enough room to fit our surplus of food, but maybe that’s our own fault.
I recently went to try a new restaurant, and when my friends and I left, I said, “We should’ve gone to ITA again.” If you are a current student at Hofstra and not a Long Island local, I would highly encourage you to spend a night out at ITA Kitchen before you graduate.
