text: It is about time that I write a review for La Fontanella given that I have become a regular And I live in New York City That an Italian restaurant nearly across the country would not only win over my stomach but my heart is a major deal given that I come from the world of great Italian cuisine That all being said La Fontanella continues to exceed my expectations and win over everyone that I bring with me to eat their food I feel like an insider at this point given that I have eaten there so often that I ended up having my wedding reception there But given that the owners are so present and charming in the place day in and day out you will feel like a regular on your very first visitnnIve seen the other negative reviews on here and I have to tell you that if you are looking for a runofthemill inexpensive redsauce joint this is not the place for you La Fontanella is for gourmands and romantics who are serious about quality ingredients and dishes prepared with a heavy measure of love Everything and I mean every last thing from pasta to sauces to dessert is made in house and special dishes are focused on fresh seasonal ingredients Case in point we begged for the artichokes in August that we enjoyed in March but the owner would not dare serve them to us out of season Not because she wanted to deny us our request but that she only wanted to serve us the best of the bestnnCutting to the chase on my first visit we decided to take a tour of the menu and see what would blow us away We started with stuffed mushrooms luscious and savory artichokes braised in olive oil garlicky goodness and the popular suppli addictive fried rice balls stuffed with oozy mozzarella served over homemade bolognese The appetizers were rich enough to almost make a meal but we charged forth nonetheless We ordered the Seabass Adriatico handsdown my favorite moist flaky filet topped with a toothsome dressing of tomatoes and basil Pork Loin with Fig Compote simply grilled lamb chops great with a squeeze of lemon and Pescatore Diabolo a fiery assortment of seafood and crushed red pepper over a tangle of fettucine Stuffed and happy we could not eat another biteand yet we managed dessert homemade gelato and zuppa inglese A night to remember we lumbered to the car knowing that we had found a new favoritennOn subsequent visits we found other new favorites like the sinfully rich Gnocchi with Prosciutto and Peas aka the night where my friend Dave asked for thirds on the homemade bread and dipping oil and the homemade grilled sausage skewers aka the night where my husband asked if I could go back into the kitchen and beg to learn the recipe nnIf you are in the neighborhood and are looking for a treat of the most authentically Italian kind this is the way to go From the romantic candlelit interior jovial and often talkative servers to the detail placed on quality ingredients La Fontanella is memorable and instantly lovable It is absolutely no surprise that this place has been around since the s and I am only sad that I had not found it soonernnPS Know that the place tends to close early the rush is usually at around pm and by pm the place is quieting down Good to know if you want to beat the throngs or why it is emptier later at night