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Mikel Cola’s vision when he created the elegant Italian

Café Restaurant was to bring a comfortable family Italian

restaurant to east Washington Heights. Located on St. Nicholas

Avenue, its glass walled front, high ceilings and wide sun yellow

walls decorated with chandeliers is a refreshing element to the

east of Broadway scene. Italian Café specializes in pizza by the

slice made with olive oil from Tuscany. Go easy and enjoy a fresca

slice for $2 or an afternoon tiramisu and iced coffee for $5.

Or try one of the more traditional Italian dishes that Cola is most

proud of. There’s the popular homemade lasagna and chicken

francesca (around $12) or the healthy pasta primavera, a hit with

vegetarians. But the true specialty of the house, both a favorite

in Cola’s family and among the staff, is the chicken and shrimp

oreganata, a beautifully balanced concoction of tender cutlet and

shrimp baked in bread crumbs and tossed in an addictive lemon

wine and butter sauce over your choice of pasta, served with a

mound of steamed spinach ($14.95).

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