Neighborhood Italian; Midtown Breakfast Recommendations?

[avatexrs]

My wife and I are looking for a good neighborhood American-style southern Italian restaurant for our trip next week to NYC. Something along the line of Trattoria Trecolori on 47th – we like pasta, red sauce, veal parm, etc. We’ll be staying in midtown but headed to Chelsea for a late night meeting, so anywhere around those locations would be great. Any ideas?

We are also looking for a basic breakfast place in midtown – bacon and eggs, etc. rather than brunch with mimosas. Any ideas?

[Motosport]

Midtown East/Murray Hill:
Penelope for breakfast
Rossini's for Italian

[vicissitudes]

motospot,

what do you like to eat at Rossini's?

[vicissitudes]

having just eaten lunch at Rossini's, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. It's OK old-fashioned food, not particularly well prepared, and surely better options around in Midtown in that price range. Rossini's bills itself as northern Italian, not southern Italian, although the menu is sort of a hodgpodge of gussied up dishes that you would actually never see in Italy.

[Motosport]

The last time we were there I had the shrimp fra diavolo. Excellent sauce that was spiced just right. Appetizers and salad were also very good. It's a nice, reliable, neighborhood, old school Italian place with fabulous service.
They also had a couple of opera singers performing. Great fun.
Surprised you were disappointed.

[Tommy D.]

Crispo in Chelsea.

[RebelWithaCause]

Best bagels midtown...Blue Flowers...In fact, they're highly underrated.
47th between Madison and Fifth