Ortobello's
Italian restaurant · Borough Park ·
Old-school Italian-American classics served in heaping portions
Old-school Italian-American classics served in heaping portions
"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
"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
"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
"I learned that a fire ripped through Ortobello, a 50-year-old red-sauce institution in Bensonhurst, last week — the Fire Marshal later determined it started in an exhaust fan. The family-run South Brooklyn restaurant, opened by their father in 1974 and with interiors dating back to the 1970s, suffered heavy kitchen damage and has been forced to shut until insurance inspections and rebuilding are complete; next-of-kin owner Andrea Cerasuoli said, “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.” The family is raising funds to rebuild and a GoFundMe has raised more than $15,000 to date." - Emma Orlow
