La Masseria - Delicious Italian in the Theatre District

I want to share a wonderful Italian Restaurant find right in the heart of the theatre district.  It's called La Masseria.  

This past summer, during one of my Broadway theatre excursions, I was about to search for a nearby Restaurant to the Walter Kerr Theatre on West 48th Street and 8th Avenue.

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As luck would have it, my  friend recommended a restaurant the day before the show, that she had just eaten at, and fortuitously, it happened to be two doors down from the theatre - La Masseria.  

I wasn't aware of this fabulous restaurant  situated on the corner of West 48th Street, and 8th Avenue.  The atmosphere was warm and inviting and the staff was welcoming and personal.  Our waiter just happened to be from my grandfather's home town of Taormina, Sicily, so we struck up quite a conversation about this lovely Sicilian town, causing him great yearning as he broke out the pictures and shared his memories of his homeland.

Mom, Me and friend Irene at La Masseria

The menu was filled with a wonderful cross section of Italian specialties, including a number of daily specials.  Irene and I couldn't decide on which appetizer to order, so we share two. The Mozzarella, Roasted Pepper and Eggplant drizzled in Balsamic Glaze - an appetizer special and oh, so YUMMY!  In addition, we devoured a huge plate of Shoestring Fried Zucchini, which were light and crunchy. Mom ordered the Masseria salad for her appetizer, which was essentially a Tre-Colore Salad with a twist. Comprised of Arugola, Radicchio, Endive, Mushrooms, Olives, Tomato & Roasted Peppers, it was a colorful salad creation.   

Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers & Eggplant with a Balsamic Drizzle

Shoestring Fried Zucchini

Masseria Salad - Arugola, Radicchio, Endive, Mushrooms, Olives, Tomato & Roasted Peppers

For our main courses, we were quite unoriginal, but, extremely happy with our choices.  

Irene and Mom selected the Homemade Fettucini Bolognese whereas, I chose the Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil. The tomato sauce was light and flavorful on my dish and being a fresh "Basilico" (Basil) freak, I was thrilled to see lots of it on my Spaghetti!

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

Homemade Fettucini Bolognese

Everything was delectable and coupled with the decor and open air restaurant front, it was a relaxing meal for all of us.  Mom and I ended the meal with Passion Fruit Sorbet and a slice of Italian Cheesecake (made with ricotta cheese) which I will admit, was the best Italian cheesecake I had ever eaten - soft, creamy, not too wet, and oh, so flavorful!  

I highly recommend La Masseria for a memorable meal!
Elisa

For Your Reference
La Masseria
235 West 48th Street 
New York City, NY 10036 
Phone: (212) 582-2111