For years, we on the Upper West Side have looked longingly downtown at the plethora of cafés, bistros, and tempting food options that delight residents there. Our area offers marvelous fresh ingredient vendors – Fairway, Zabar’s, Citarella’s, Oppenheimer Meats, Joon’s Fish Market—but few choices for a delicious neighborhood dinner. In that context, the unlikely stretch of Amsterdam Avenue between 92nd and 93rd Streets shines as a particular treasure, a triple whammy. Genaro made the first foray here in the 90s, perhaps drawn by the low rent or obvious food desert. His distinctive Sicilian palette and inventive creations won an immediate and loyal following. Signature favorites remain steadies on the menu all these years. Frisée salad with pears, goat cheese, walnuts and champagne vinaigrette, or tortino of potatoes, mushrooms, beets and goat cheese, or mussels steeped with tomatoes, saffron and pernod, or braised lambshank in red wine (“Stinco”). My mouth waters ... See full document!