"Mandola’s Deli in the East End serves enough red sauce to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. This no-nonsense counter-service spot not only exists in some pre-millennium time loop (we even saw a landline phone) but also serves straightforward American-Italian food. Go here for loaded chicken parmesan sandwiches, spaghetti with fist-sized meatballs, and a recommended dose of nostalgia." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene