Ortobello's

"If you snatched a trattoria out of Rome and placed it on a corner in Mapleton, Brooklyn, next to a barbershop, and across the street from a restaurant called Pizza Daddy, you’d get Ortobello’s. Not only does the family-run spot from the '70s make the best chicken parmesan in all five boroughs, but their linguine with clams has whole garlic cloves in it that get crushed lightly and cooked gently. Ortobello’s is just as worthy of a birthday dinner as it is a Sunday night meal. Especially if you need a break from tiny bowls of three to five agnolotti." - bryan kim, neha talreja, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, tiffany yannetta

"Of all the places on this list, Ortobello's in Mapleton is the one we want to scream about from the rooftops. And then, once we've finished screaming, we want to bring everyone here for a big birthday dinner, or just a regular Sunday night. Ortobello’s, which opened in 1964, quietly serves some of the best red-sauce Italian food in the city. It’s run by Andy, whose father ran it before him, and who ambles around the dining room in a backwards baseball cap, refilling wine and thanking people for being here. You don't hear about this place too often, but that's all the more reason to come, whenever you need to be warmed from the inside out by way of cheese. If they have vodka chicken parm on special, get it." - willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, neha talreja

"A fire ripped through Ortobello, a 50-year-old red sauce institution of Bensonhurst last week, later determined by the Fire Marshall that it started in an exhaust fan. Now the South Brooklyn restaurant, located on Bay Parkway, is raising funds to rebuild, Brooklyn Paper reports. Up until the incident, Ortobello was a last-of-its-kind joint, with interiors dating back to the 1970s. The family stepped up since their father’s passing in 2018; he first opened Ortobello in 1974. Next-of-kin owner Andrea Cerasuoli told the publication: 'Unfortunately the flames did spread through the kitchen, and it did do a lot of damage so we have been forced to shut down until the insurance company carries out inspections and we rebuild the inside.' To date, a GoFundMe has raised more than $15,000." - Emma Orlow

"The inside of Ortobello’s feels a little like a Roman trattoria, if you snatched it out of Italy and placed it on a corner in Mapleton, Brooklyn, next to a barbershop, and across the street from a restaurant called Pizza Daddy. The food here is very much not Roman trattoria—the spicy vodka chicken parm might utterly confuse a born-and-bred Italian—but for excellent Italian American classics in Brooklyn, there's no better place. In this red-and-white room, decorated with old paintings, photos, and a a papier-mâché nativity scene, Andy Ortobello runs the show, just like his father did so before him. He ambles around in a backwards baseball cap, presenting the handwritten specials board, refilling a carafe of red for the table of 12 taking up half the restaurant, and thanking the couple from New Jersey for making the trip. Every time we come here, we thank ourselves for making the trip too. photo credit: Alex Staniloff photo credit: Alex Staniloff photo credit: Alex Staniloff photo credit: Alex Staniloff Ortobello's is the sort of place we want to scream about from the rooftops, and then, once we've finished screaming, bring everyone we know for a big birthday dinner. If there’s spicy vodka chicken parm on special, get it, along with mozzarella in carrozza, and the linguine with clams, which has whole cloves of garlic in it that are just ever-so-slightly crushed. Save room for a massive, jiggling square of citrusy ricotta cheesecake for dessert. Whether it's a special occasion or just a Sunday night, this is the place to come when you want to be warmed by way of cheese, from the inside out. Food Rundown photo credit: Alex Staniloff Mozzarella in Carrozza There's a high chance the people at the table next to you will be talking about how much they've been craving this fried mozzarella since the last time they were here. Order this. You can also ask for it in vodka sauce, which we recommend doing if you're not ordering any else with vodka sauce on it. You must try the vodka sauce at Ortobello's. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Chicken Parm If we used one word to describe this chicken parm, we'd go with hefty. There's nothing thin and pounded about it, and we're glad. Instead, there's a thick layer of breaded chicken, sauced liberally, with an even thicker layer of mozzarella on top. And still, some bites are crispy. What a show-off. Sometimes, you can get it vodka-sauced. Remember the rule: You must put vodka sauce on something. Linguine With Clams If you come with someone who grew up eating garlicky bivalves, they may say something like "this is just how my grandma made it" once they taste this dish with barely crushed whole garlic cloves. It's a nice, lighter way to balance out the chicken parm. photo credit: Ortobello's Ricotta Cheesecake We swear the ricotta cheesecake jiggles, just from someone looking at it. It's a masterpiece." - Willa Moore

"Ortobello’s is a destination-worthy restaurant on Bay Parkway in Mapleton, Brooklyn. The combination of photographs and a papier-mâché nativity scene at this old-school Italian spot makes you feel like you’re eating at someone’s grandparents’ house. Expect to hear lots of Louis Prima while you eat the entire order of mozzarella in carrozza that should be the opener to your meal. Add some red sauce classics like outstanding chicken parm and penne alla vodka, and save room for the citrusy ricotta cheesecake." - Willa Moore, Sonal Shah, Neha Talreja, Bryan Kim, Carina Finn Koeppicus