Barano

Authentic Southern Italian dishes, a blazing wood-fired pizza oven, and a Brooklyn rustic interior combine to make for a uniquely satisfying dining experience in an old neighborhood by the waterfront. Homemade smoked mozzarella is the signature appetizer, arriving in a plume of aromatic vapors. 21-day dry-aged meatballs with Parmesan are a must-try; but pastas, like the paccheri with braised pork and a salty pecorino Romano, are too. Servers enthusiastically explain the Old World preparations. Along with using traditional smoking techniques which originated in the Bay of Naples many years ago, the kitchen turns out exceptionally flavorful, hearty wood-fired pizzas with delicious toppings like broccoli rabe, Calabrian honey and spicy pork salumi. A well-priced selection of American and Italian wines pair well with the sometimes subtle, but sometimes deep flavors of the food.