Not too long ago, someone on the Usenet group rpi.general recommended Testo’s in Lansingburgh (That’s the north end of Troy, for readers new to the area.) as the best Italian restaurant in Troy. I resolved to go there at my next opportunity and then forgot until my girlfriend reminded me a few days later as some friends and I were trying to decide what to do for dinner. So the four of us piled into the car and went looking for it. We found it just as we got them on the phone to get directions.
The first thing I noticed when we walked in was that space was at a premium; the tables are very close together. But the overall impression was cozy rather than cramped—the building was clearly a large residence that was later converted for use as a restaurant. The other thing that was immediately visible was that the place was packed; while there was no wait, we appeared to get the only empty table. This is not surprising for 8 pm on a Saturday, but its popularity suggested that it might, in fact, be the best Italian restaurant in the city.
Looking over the menu was a mild disappointment, though. The selection of dishes was fairly narrow—everything I feel is "required" at an Italian place was there, but not a whole lot besides that. The prices were neither good nor bad: $8-13 for an entree, and the usual $5 or so more for steak or seafood, is unremarkable in my experience. The four of us got out for $60, including dessert, tax, and gratuity. As we waited for our food, I discovered that the building has excellent acoustics—I couldn’t overhear the conversation at the table just a few feet behind me unless I focused on it. It was also comfortable, and we found it an excellent place to talk for long periods of time. (We ended up being the last ones out, at around quarter to ten.) This feature was fortunate, since our food took about 35 minutes to arrive, which is a bit longer than similar establishments in the area. The service was otherwise good, though—we got our bread promptly, and the water pitcher stayed full.
Unfortunately, the food didn’t quite live up to its billing. It was, overall, good but not great. My sausage and mushrooms dish was probably the best of the lot—I enjoyed it quite a bit and had plenty to take home for lunch the next day. The lasagna and stuffed shells were both described as good, and the linguini with white clam sauce was only ok. Dessert was more of the same: all good, but nothing spectacular. In my opinion, Testo’s is not the best Italian restaurant in the area, or even in Troy. But we all enjoyed our meal, and I’ll probably eat at Testo’s on occasion in the future. If you are considering leaving the city to find good Italian food, consider heading up to Testo’s instead.
Testo’s is located on the corner of 124th St. and 4th Ave. in Lansingburgh. To get there, drive down Peoples Avenue to 6th Ave. Turn right onto 6th, and then keep going straight for a mile or two. As you head north, the cross streets will eventually be numbered instead of named. Turn left on 124th; Testo’s will be ahead on the left.
