Asti

I regret that I never went into Asti, closed in 1999 after 75 years as "one of New York's most beloved and treasured restaurants."



You may remember, it was the place on E. 12th Street where the waitstaff sang opera while they served Italian dishes. Said one baritone at the time of the closure, "In the last decade, our customers either died, retired, or could no longer afford to come regularly."

If you missed it as I missed it--or if you just miss it--watch this extensive video report I recently came across: