Umberto's Clam House

[dave smith]

The red sauce at Umberto's was wonderful. However, the
restaurant in Little Italy is now closed. Please offer
suggestions. Anyone know what happened?

[Tom M]

I may be wrong about this, but I think they just moved
to a new location, a few blocks north. Haven't been to
the new spot (if it exists!)

[amy tarshis]

I may be wrong but I think it's a case of they-just-bought-the name. I KNOW that the mgmt. is different.

Instead try Little Charlie's on Kenmare street for all that red sauce (hot, mild, sweet) over shellfish kinda thing.

Mangia!

[dave smith]

Could anyone provide the address for Little Charlie's
on Kenware? I live in the midwest. Therefore, my
familiarity with Little Italy area is weak.

[Frank Language]

Little Charlie's is located at 19 Kenmare St. Phone is
212-431-6443.

[Jeremy Osner]

I was in Little Italy today at lunch time, saw
Umberto's (now on Broome St. a few doors east of
Mulberry) and thought "Oh yeah, that's the place people
were talking about on Chowhound!" So I had lunch there,
1/2 dozen Cherrystones on the half shell and a plate of
linguini with red sauce. I liked the clams -- I've
never eaten clams before, and they seemed awfully
salty, but I liked the flavor once I got used to the
salt. Are clams always that salty, or is it due to how
they were prepared?

If I were re-ordering this lunch I would have gotten
the pasta with garlic and oil instead of red sauce. The
sauce was too acidic and left an unpleasant aftertaste.

[pat hammond]

Oh I do love clams on the half shell. They are
not "prepared", but simply opened or shucked. I can't
imagine that they were salted before serving to you.
The saltiness results from the salinity of the liquor
or natural juice that is surrounding the animal in the
shell. Can anyone back up my theory that the saltier
tasting clams have been around a while? Not that
there's anything wrong with that! If they were tightly
closed before shucking they are alive and well. pat

[Mark]

Umberto's moved just a few blocks away. I visit the restaurant almost every time that I go to New York. The baked clams are outstanding.

[Randy Russo]

For the most part umbertos is still maintainted by some of the original owners. As for the sauce, it is unsurpassed. I make sure to purchase there sauce every christmas and use as the base for many of my holiday dishes.
The only place that comes close to the quality of Umbertos is Randazzos in sheepshead Bay Brooklyn.