Marco Polo Ristorante

Marco Polo Ristorante [345 Court Street, Brooklyn; Menu]

If it's old-school Italian you want, it's old-school Italian you'll get at this Carroll Gardens haunt. The main dining room is dark and decorated with images of Marco Polo and other Italian heroes. The menu offers up few surprises, but the large portions are nice for gluttons like myself. My friend enjoyed the Minestrone soup to start, and it was a massive bowl that almost a meal in itself. For my entree, I went with the Pasta Nera Adriatica (squid-ink pasta with seafood) and it was excellent. My friend's Zuppa di Pesce (seafood in a tomato broth) was less so. My other friend had a pasta special that was tasty. So stick to the pasta and you should enjoy yourself.

Caserta Vecchia

Caserta Vecchia [221 Smith Street, Brooklyn; Menu]

Try this quaint and authentic Italian restaurant in Carroll Gardens/Boerum Hill for some fantastic Neapolitan-style pizza. Order whichever pie suits your fancy, although I can tell from experience that the prosciutto is good. The prices are very reasonable, and I highly recommend that you sit in the garden in the back. This place is a well-known Brooklyn institution and is definitely worth a visit.

Carroll Gardens Classic Diner

Carroll Gardens Classic Diner [155 Smith Street, Brooklyn; Menu]

Try to sit in the enclosed porch that is the back room if you can in this wonderful Smith Street diner. As with every other diner, you can find anything you want on the menu, but you should probably focus on breakfast dishes. Treat yourself to the chocolate chip pancakes with two eggs and you will not regret it. And if you are really hungry, try the Lumber Jack (it's got everything). You might regret that, but in a good way.