Max’s is one of those hidden Italian gems frequented by locals in the east village. The restaurant front is unadorned and discreet, bearing no signs or letterings at all. I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. But my skepticism soon turned to excitement upon crossing the threshold.

The place is a bustle of people having a good time. Come early, because seats fill up very quickly and stay that way for a while. In the meantime, you can enjoy a refreshing glass of sangria at the bar. But, it was crowded even there, so we decided to take a brisk walk while waiting for our table to clear.

Max’s is a down to earth restaurant. The kitchen is located in the center, rather than being hidden away in the back. It’s also open so that anyone can inspect the foodstaff toiling away at the pasta.

The food is the primary focus at Max’s. There’s pasta, and then, there’s really good pasta. Max’s is lightyears above really good pasta. The photo above doesn’t do it any sort of justice. The pasta is made fresh everyday, and actually tastes like it too.

We ordered three items: lasagne, spaghetti with veal bolognese, and fettucine with duck (pictured). All the items were marvelous. The lasagne literally melted in my mouth, and the spaghetti had actual chunks of veal (rather than ground), and the duck was plentiful in the fettucine. On top of this, each item was less than $15, which is quite rare for this caliber of noodle.

I can’t stress enough how fresh the pasta is at Max’s. It’s the freshest I’ve ever tasted. So the next time you’re in the east village and you see a nondescript looking restaurant with tons of people inside. Take a gander, you won’t be sorry.

If anyone knows the actual address of this place, please tell me. I can’t seem to find any listing online anywhere!

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