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Long before Mario Batali began his rise to power, Bay Ridge native son Joseph Zero opened a homemade gelato shop. Eventually, it grew into a sandwich and dinner spot, and in 1995, it reopened as the pan-Italian Chianti. The restaurant serves a mix of old-fashioned, rustic, predominantly southern Italian cuisine—the chef is from Bari, in the southern part of the country, but northern faves like polenta and osso buco have been thrown in for good measure. The menu veers away from Italian-American comfort food, and instead pushes the envelope with exciting and authentic meat, cheese, and vegetable-rich hot and cold appetizers; homemade pastas; and grilled and sautéed meat and fish dishes. Quality all-around is high: Handmade gnocchi achieves a cloudlike lightness rarely seen on either side of the East River, and the tomato based Sorrentina sauce provides a flavorful counterpoint to it. Even the desserts are fine-tuned: An almost savory Ricotta cheesecake strikes the perfect balance of moist and dry, crumbly yet creamy. Bay Ridge may not be Brooklyn's Little Italy, but this neighborhood restaurant is worth bridge-and-tunneling it for. — Andrew Sessa

Mozzarella della casa, $9.95; molten chocolate cake, $7; Italian ricotta cheesecake, $6