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I have no doubt you are familiar with Rao’s, the iconic Italian spot in East Harlem which dates back to 1896, but I wonder if you have heard of Bamonte’s, another quintessential “old school” spot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Both restaurants are family-run (The Pellegrino and Bamonte families respectively), both are very small (Rao’s has 10 tables and Bamonte’s 25) and both feature classic red sauce smothered dishes that exemplify Italian-American cuisine which is particularly unique to New York.

I have been fortunate to have dined twice at Rao’s (you can read about my most recent visit here) and loved the experience, but my meal last month at Bamonte’s has dethroned Rao’s, and will be my go-to from here on in whenever I need to step back in time to “old” New York.

One major difference to note, Rao’s is notoriously hard to book a table at, you either have to know someone who “owns” a table and is willing to let you have it for the night, or you can “win” a table at a charity auction. There is literally no chance of calling and getting a reservation. There is a Rao’s in Miami (the branch in Las Vegas has closed) where you can reservea table in the traditional manner, but that is not the real Rao’s experience. You can book a table at Bamonte’s though just by calling them on the phone! You will not only experience an equally unforgettable dinner but you will be able to pay by credit card if you so desire.

Rao’s policy is cash only, while Bamonte’s prefers cash (who wouldn’t?), but will take credit cards with a slight premium tacked on to the bill).

We opted to book an early supper (3pm) at Bamonte’s on a recent Sunday because we reasoned that we were going to eat and drink to such excess that we would need extra time to digest, and we were right!

When you enter Bamonte’s you can’t help but be enveloped in nostalgia. Having grown up in NYC (as I did) the telephone booths and cigarette machine in the entry immediately took me way back. The setting is so iconic that it has been used in many movies and tv shows (including several episodes of the Soprano’s). The dining room with its white tablecloths and red drapes is also incredibly evocative of another era.

We were greeted and shown to our table by the youthful and glamorous Anita Bamonte (3rd generation) who is clearly in charge of the dining room. Her banter as well as the tuxedo’d waiters (maybe 3rd generation as well!) set the tone for the entire afternoon.

The Sunday afternoon crowd at Bamonte’s includes lots of neighborhood regulars: families, groups of nattily dressed older gentlemen, even a table full of priests; making us feel as though we wandered onto a movie set. When we arrived the restaurant was empty as you can see above (though there were some folks at the bar), but within 15 minutes every table was full and the energy level went way up.

Bamonte’s is not a restaurant that caters to a new-age or fussy audience. You are not meant to question the provenance of your pork chop or wonder whether the spinach is organic, you simply order a cocktail from the incredibly solicitous and charming waiters and prepare to dig-in. By the way, there was no gluten free bread option (I didn’t even ask) but there was gluten-free pasta!

We each put in an order for our favorite starters (fresh mozz and tomatoes for me), and the consensus was they were all excellent examples of classic favorites, (a tad heavy on the oil) with the Spiedini taking the prize as the overall winner.

We tried to pace ourselves and not over order, which was a challenge because everything was so tempting. We were a group of 6 but ordered a couple of extra dishes (to share). We clearly were not a lactose intolerant group as we literally wallowed in melted mozz! I decided on the GF penne with white clam sauce which was so nice and garlicky that I knew Dracula would keep his distance.

Bamonte’s claims to have invented chicken Parmigiana, so we had to order that, along with both the veal and eggplant parm. The lasagna was nice and dense, and the cavatelle Bolognese appropriately meaty and rich. The waiter seemed pleased with our choices, particularly the pork chops alla Bamonte.

Although you might assume we were stuffed, we knew to save room for dessert. We were celebrating a birthday so we put in a request for the Birthday Boy to be serenaded (in the most enthusiastic manner) inspiring most of the other diners in the restaurant to join in.

I literally couldn’t get a photo of the desserts before the forks descended on our mixed assortment, everyone wanted to get the first bite of their favorite. Personally, I am team Cannoli (they are not on the menu, but ask nicely); though they were all indulgent and satisfying.

We all had a four star experience at Bamonte’s, with every detail hitting just right. The food is not the best you will ever taste, but it is exactly what what you dream a classic New York Italian restaurant should be. You can just imagine Frank Sinatra and his pals sitting next to you enjoying their cocktails and dinner….

If I could I would become a regular for Sunday supper. Rao’s was an experience, but I am definitely team Bamonte’s. I am curious, if you have been to both what do you think?