From sun, sea, and land, Piccola Cucina Sicilian Osteria on Spring Street in New York offers new experiences that satisfy New Yorkers’ palates. Since opening in 2013 as an expansion of the group’s Prince Street location, the restaurant has continued to meet the growing demand for authentic Sicilian cuisine. From red shrimp to volcanic wines from Mount Etna, Piccola Cucina is bringing southern Italy to New York City in a dining experience of memory, tradition, and regional cuisine.
Sicilian Chef Philip Guardione has expanded the restaurant group across multiple New York City locations and opened new venues in Montana and Ibiza. Guardione says the mission stays the same: to transport diners to Sicily through food, atmosphere, and hospitality.
“Piccola Cucina is the pure essence of Italy, brought to New York City,” Guardione said.
From Catina to Soho
Born in Catania, Sicily, Guardione says his childhood memories continue to shape every menu across the group’s restaurants.
“I try to prepare my food the same way I remember from childhood,” he said. “Whenever I am deciding on new dishes for our menus, my starting point is always the flavors I grew up with.”
That approach has helped distinguish Piccola Cucina in New York’s crowded Italian dining scene by introducing dishes many American diners may not be familiar with, including granita and pane cunzato — a traditional Sicilian bread dish.
For Guardione, authentic Sicilian cuisine means preserving the traditions he grew up with while balancing imported Italian products with locally sourced ingredients.
“Authentic Sicilian cuisine in NY means doing my very best to convey my passion and experience in my homeland’s food to our customers,” Guardione said.
Sicilian Osteria’s Specialties
While the restaurant sources many products from local farmers’ markets, some ingredients still come directly from Italy, including DOP mozzarella, Sicilian red shrimp, Calabrian charcuterie, and pasta imported from Campania.
At the Spring Street locations, the menu must-trys include the salmon tempura, tartare di tonno (tuna tartare with avocado, lime, miso sauce, and potato chips), carciofo al carbone (artichoke), cannelloni verde con ragu di cinghiale e tartufo (green tagliatelle in wild boar ragu with fresh black truffle), angus beef short ribs with potato crisps, and, not to forget, their signature dessert, cheesecake al limone candito e cioccolato bianco (lemon cheesecake topped with white chocolate).
Wouldn’t be a proper meal without a final lemon finish as they do in Sicily.
Fine Wine and Dining
The Sicilian influence also extends beyond the kitchen and into the restaurant’s extensive wine program.
Wine Director and Sommelier Alfio Scrivano says Piccola Cucina intentionally focused on Sicilian wines to introduce New Yorkers to a side of Italian wine culture often overshadowed by regions like Tuscany and Piedmont.
“There aren’t many restaurants with a robust, comprehensive Sicilian list, and we wanted to fill that gap and introduce the city to the rich diversity of Sicilian wines,” Scrivano said.
The restaurant now carries around 150 Mount Etna wine labels alone, including small producers and niche vineyards sourced through the team’s Sicilian connections.
Scrivano says the volcanic soil and climate surrounding Mount Etna help create wines with distinctive acidity and elegance that pair naturally with seafood and pasta dishes.
“Mount Etna wines in particular pair very well with seafood and pasta naturally, including the reds,” he said.
Piccola Cucina Sicilian Osteria is located at 196 Spring Street.
