Tommaso

I’ve Been Going to Tommaso in Brooklyn All My Life, and Not Just for the Free Opera | Bon Appétit

"Since 1974 this old-school Italian-American restaurant in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, has been serving classic dishes that deliberately transcend clichés — the chef-owner was an early proponent of white truffle season and the menu favors hearty, well-executed plates (think veal cutlet Parmigiana) over perfunctory pasta. The dining room eschews typical Chianti kitsch for reproductions of Renaissance frescoes, and the wine list is described as world-class. Service doubles as theater: the chef-owner, a trained tenor, and a rotating cast of singers perform opera arias, Neapolitan songs, and pop ballads with piano accompaniment on weekends, creating a warm, theatrical, and occasionally intense atmosphere for diners (especially children). Food is reliably good and sometimes great, and the combination of sincere, homey cooking with passionate live performance gives the place a deeply personal, old-fashioned charm." - ByGiulia Melucci