Parm

Ever heard of Carbone ? Parm on the Upper West Side is from the same restaurant group, but it’s way more casual, it’s one thousand times easier to get a table (or just walk in), and—drum roll please—they have the same exact only-slightly-spicy rigatoni that’s gained a cult following down in Greenwich Village . For $16 less. You won’t find a tableside caesar salad or servers in purple suits here, but you will find a kids menu, a weekday Happy Hour, and enough space for your entire extended family in the diner-like space. Bring a colleague and share a chicken parm sandwich on a sesame-covered hero at lunch, or come in the evening for a low-key weeknight dinner. Parm also does a lot of takeout in case you want to eat the famous rigatoni in your pajamas.

Food Rundown

Buffalo Cucumbers

This isn’t for everyone, but the people who love it will love it so very much. It’s a small bowl of sliced cucumbers in a pool of buttery buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing. If this sounds like heartburn, avoid it. But if you feel seen by this exact concoction, start your meal here.

Caesar Salad

Like at Carbone, the classic caesar salad comes with big croutons that taste as though they’ve been soaked in butter for several hours. Order this.

photo credit: Willa Moore

Rigatoni Carbone

Saucy and glossy, this is a great vodka pasta, with just a slight hint of spice. Eating it next to a kid picking at their chicken tenders isn’t as cool as it would be in a dark blue room next to a dripping candelabra in Greenwich Village, but if you’re looking for an extra-comforting bowl of pasta without all the fanfare, you’ll be happy with this.

photo credit: Willa Moore

Chicken Parm

There’s no skimping on the mozzarella—you can barely even see the chicken under the stretchy white blanket. At dinner, get it in a platter version, which comes with pasta on the side. If you come for lunch, put it on a sesame seed-covered hero.