202175 Tue Jul 01 14:19:52 -0700 2003 2 18 Manhattan 0 1077931 Has anyone been to Celeste on the Upper West Side? Tue Jul 01 14:19:52 -0700 2003 0 sam 1 1077976 I was there a few months ago and the food was fabulous (and cheap). Unfortunately, I cannot remember the details of my meal. We ordered fried ricotta and a selection of italian meats (prosciutto, etc) to start. The ricotta was delicious and the meats were high quality. I think I had some kind of homemade pasta with cabbage(?) for my main. I remember the menu being interesting--not your typical red-sauce-American-Italian restaurant--without trying too hard. The only thing I wasn't impressed with was dessert, which was something chocolate-y. It wasn't bad. I expected a little more vision with the desserts after such a wonderful dinner (not that there's any causal relation) and was disappointed. Although, to be fair, I'm rarely impressed with dessert. Anyway, the waitstaff is attentive, not intrusive and the prices are cheap. I also hear that the owner smuggles illegal cheeses in from Italy for the cheese plate. I would definitely recommend this place. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/198498#1058589 Tue Jul 01 20:31:03 -0700 2003 1077931 0 msu 1 1077981 Go. Especially if you live in the nabe. It's not a destination restaurant, but it has very good Italian at very cheap prices. Start off with a nice thin pizza from the wood-fired oven. Pay attention to the pasta specials. They make some of the pastas fresh in-house. And yes, the last time I was there the owner had just smuggled some cheese back from Italy. I was not with a cheesehead, so I passed. Definitely, next time, though. It's not Lupa, but for the UWS, it's as good as it gets. Tue Jul 01 22:52:39 -0700 2003 1077931 0 Galloping Gourmet