Located on the corner of 59th Street and First Avenue is a quiet little Italian osteria serving house-made 
wonderful food. I wished I live in this neighborhood, as this would turn into my go-to restaurant.
Being invited in, we sampled many courses starting with the oozing creamy burrata surrounded by fresh flavorful tomatoes and sliced roasted peppers, topped with fresh basil and arugula all in lemon vinaigrette ($16). I also recommend their oven-roasted veggies (broccoli, carrots, zucchini) with a red wine vinaigrette ($14).
I tried to just eat one bite of their layers of baked eggplant, mozzarella and fresh tomato sauce ($15), but couldn’t. Yes, their eggplant parmigiana is that good. We loved the fresh tomato sauce so much, we ordered three entrees, each made with that sauce!
We asked for a small portion of the bucatini all’ Amatriciana ($13) and devoured every bite of the tubular spaghetti with 
pancetta, onions and their house-made tomato sauce. The only disappointing dish was the brick-oven cooked, house-made potato gnocchi ($17) topped with fresh mozzarella (that they also make) and that same wonderful sauce. The gnocchi were a bit too dense for my liking.
The shrimp in the fra’diavolo were tender, juicy and tasty ($25); we just wished the sauce was spicier.
My one suggestion to the owners of Il Valentino Osteria would be to more attractively present and garnish the dessert tray. They plopped their offerings on an half-empty white tray, which was anything but appetizing.
We were happily satiated but ordered one — the tiramisu — as it was my friend’s birthday and I had called ahead to request a candle with no singing. The layers of sponge cake soaked in liquid with mascarpone cheese all topped with powdered chocolate was good, but arrived sans candle.
I didn’t mind that slip up, as their food was so good I’d highly recommend you making a special trip there to try it.
– bonnie
Il Valentino Osteria
Upper East Side
1078 1st Avenue,
New York, NY 10022
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