3 Recipes From Taylor Swift's Favorite NYC Spot

Left: James Devaney; Right, Rob Kim / Getty Images

Usually, the hardest-to-score restaurant tables are found inside buzzy new restaurants or those that recently earned rave reviews from a critic, an award from the James Beard Foundation, or a star (or several) from the Michelin Guide.

But what’s old-ish is new in New York, thanks to one very popular patron who has her own ~love story~ with a particular restaurant.

Via Carota, a chic yet chill 75-seat Italian restaurant in the West Village, was originally opened by chef-owners Jody Williams and Rita Sodi in November 2014. (The duo had each founded their own restaurants, Buvette for Williams and I Sodi for Sodi, before debuting Via Carota.) 

When you walk in you're immediately greeted with rustic decor, complete with stone walls, reclaimed wood floors, and an antique dresser to store heirloom dishware. These are all nods to the 17th-century villa in Florence that Sodi once called home. Nothing is too fussy about the menu, either: The recipes are simple and elegant, what the website deems “Old-World Italian.” Via Carota dishes celebrate seasonal vegetables as well as classic Italian comfort food creations like meatballs, risotto, and pasta.

Although Via Carota is perfectly situated to be a cozy neighborhood spot, over its nine-plus years of business the restaurant has evolved to become a food writer favorite (earning accolades from publications like The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Eater). PEOPLE shared that Via Carota is also a go-to dinner reservation for celebrities like Andy Cohen, Jennifer Lawrence, Sarah Jessica Parker…and perhaps most notably, Taylor Swift.

Amid her record-breaking Eras tour, it seems like every step Swift makes—and every bite she eats (have