Spirito's Restaurant in Elizabeth and the Reservoir Tavern in Parsippany are among the top 50 Italian restaurants in the country, according to The Daily Meal. Old-school wonder Spirito's was ranked 18th, while the Reservoir Tavern came in at no. 50. New York City had 14 restaurants on the list, including number one, Del Posto, a collaboration with Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Lidia Bastianich. Phiiadelphia's Vetri came in at number two, while Osteria, also in Philly, was 27.

"Owned and operated by the Spirito family since it opened in 1932, the dim, wood-paneled Spirito's is a restaurant where time -- and the menu -- stands still,'' says The Daily Meal. "Crowds gather nightly for three equally legendary menu items: ethereally light homemade ravioli, swimming in marinara; veal parm that's so big it doesn't fit on the plate it's served on; and, of course, the pizza.''