Bazzarelli • 1971

Italian-born Aldo Bazzarelli and his father Giovanni opened this family-run trattoria in industrial Moonachie in 1971, bringing southern Italian home cooking to Bergen County. The menu centers on classics like chicken francese in buttery lemon sauce, chicken parm vodka pizza, and fried calamari, all served with the kind of hospitality that makes strangers feel like family. You might spot Mr. John at the bar reading an Italian newspaper over espresso—a daily ritual that captures the lived-in warmth of this half-century institution.