There is no shortage of old school and new Italian restaurants throughout New York City, from Manhattan’s Little Italy to Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn. But an often overlooked neighborhood with a rich Italian history is Bensonhurst in southern Brooklyn.

My friend Frank Pinello, chef and owner of Best Pizza, grew up in Bensonhurst. His grandparents and family moved to the neighborhood from Sicily looking for opportunity and work in 1959, when his father was 5 years old. Pinello’s family was among an influx of Italians moving to Brooklyn around that time.