{"id":202908,"date":"2026-04-20T01:00:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T01:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/202908\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T01:00:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T01:00:28","slug":"staten-island-restaurant-hits-30-years-of-serving-old-school-nyc-italian-fare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/202908\/","title":{"rendered":"Staten Island restaurant hits 30 years of serving old\u2011school NYC Italian fare"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Chef Franco Ortega is marking 30 years at Italianissimo in South Beach, one of many anniversary milestones across Staten Island that speak to the staying power of local restaurant owners. His three\u2011decade run represents a rare kind of longevity in New York City\u2019s notoriously unforgiving dining scene, arriving in a year marked by reflection\u2014from the nation\u2019s upcoming 250th birthday to Staten Island\u2019s 365 years since its first permanent European settlement in 1661.<\/p>\n

\"Italianissimo\"Before Chef Franco Ortega, the kitchen at Italianissimo was led by Gianvito Fanizza, a chef whose r\u00e9sum\u00e9 included the once\u2011famed Caf\u00e9 del Mondo in Willowbrook. From that circle \u2014 a kind of Staten Island diaspora of Italian cooks \u2014 emerged restaurants that would help define an era of local dining, including today\u2019s Italianissimo and Bocelli. It was a passing of the apron that helped preserve an old\u2011school approach, even as the borough\u2019s restaurant scene evolved.Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri<\/p>\n

Located at 107 McClean Ave., Italianissimo has become what Ortega calls a Staten Island landmark, drawing diners from across the region\u2014and former residents who now live out of state\u2014for what many consider old\u2011school Italian done right.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never set out to chase trends,\u201d Ortega said. \u201cI just wanted to cook the way I was taught and take care of the people who walk through the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Italianissimo\"Italianissimo gets a new look. (Staten Island Advance\/Pamela Silvestri)Grit, growth and Italian cooking<\/p>\n

Ortega\u2019s journey in the restaurant industry began at the literal bottom. He started as a dishwasher, scrubbing down the kitchen and scraping pots.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything pays off,\u201d he said. \u201cThe time went by, and when I look back now, I see a beautiful family and a great business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Italianissimo was founded in 1996 by brothers Gianvito and Antonio Fanizza, taking over a space that had previously operated as Il Ponte. When Gianvito Fanizza retired in 2006, Ortega and a partner purchased the business. Ortega later became sole owner, maintaining the traditions established by its founders while introducing southern Italian cuisine from the Puglia region\u2014particularly Bari\u2014to Staten Island diners.<\/p>\n

Signature dishes include panzerotti\u2014a mini calzone served in the complimentary bread basket and filled with mozzarella and marinara\u2014a traditional specialty from Bari that Ortega has been serving for 30 years. The menu also features Orecchiette Barese, Sunday sauce, grilled seafood and fried zucchini. Italianissimo is especially known for its house\u2011made focaccia.<\/p>\n

\"RecoveryA fish stock comes to a boil.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimple is better,\u201d Ortega emphasized.<\/p>\n

That philosophy extends to ingredient sourcing. Ortega personally visits fish and meat markets two to three times a week to select the freshest offerings.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t wait for fish to be delivered,\u201d he said. \u201cI go get it myself. If I wouldn\u2019t eat it, I won\u2019t serve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than relying on rigid specials, Ortega keeps the menu fluid, often building dishes around customer requests. Sometimes guests will call out favorite items \u2014 baked clams, stuffed squash blossoms, or the cleansing, bitter bite of endive tempered by a creamy crab dip.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s say you\u2019re coming with 10 people,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat would you like to have? That\u2019s how the menu gets built\u2014not just for you, but for everyone joining us that week.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Seafood\"From baked clams to crab\u2011filled zucchini blossoms, chef Franco Ortega showcases the seafood classics that have anchored Italianissimo for decades.Degrees of difficulty behind the stove<\/p>\n

When asked about his favorite fish to prepare, Ortega pointed to Chilean sea bass for its consistency. Halibut, he said, remains the most challenging.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very delicate,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you overcook it, it\u2019s like eating hard bread.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, Italianissimo has drawn a number of notable customers. Asked to name a few, Ortega cited a former New York City mayor and actor Robert De Niro among notable customers, recalling that De Niro kept it simple with white clam sauce, focaccia and garlic bread.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing fancy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The restaurant underwent renovations in recent years and added outdoor dining during the pandemic. Ortega plans to reopen the outdoor deck in the coming weeks with an expanded menu that includes gluten\u2011free pizza and pasta options.<\/p>\n

\"Italianissimo\"Ortega\u2019s grandson is just 2 years old, but already seems drawn to the restaurant\u2014especially when his grandfather is close by.Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri<\/p>\n

\u201cI consider myself a landmark here thanks to our clientele,\u201d Ortega said. \u201cStaten Island supports you if you respect your customers. They know when something is real.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many former Staten Islanders who have relocated to Florida still make Italianissimo a stop when they return.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time they come back, they come here,\u201d Ortega said.<\/p>\n

Ortega is planning a community event in June to mark the milestone and, looking ahead, hopes to continue the tradition. These days, he\u2019s savoring a quieter moment at the restaurant, watching his grandson\u2014his \u201cbig blessing,\u201d he said\u2014already curious about the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\"Italianissimo\"Ortega celebrates his 30th and salutes America’s 250th with fried calamari and an edible flag. Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri<\/p>\n

A note from the food editor: Have any anniversaries in food and restaurants you want to commemorate? Email here and we\u2019ll figure it out\u2014silvestri@siadvance.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Chef Franco Ortega is marking 30 years at Italianissimo in South Beach, one of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202909,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-202908","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202908\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}