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The mural above the front windows at F&J Pine pictures Bronxdale Avenue with cobblestone streets lined with vegetable carts and flower boxes. While much has changed, F&J's, with its red brick walls covered with Yankee memorabilia, red-checked tables and a partially open kitchen, firmly holds the neighborhood together. On any given night the place is packed with families, dates, Yankee players, fans, and entire wedding parties digging into the mind-blowingly large platters of family-style Italian food. Sausage-stuffed mushrooms and the eggplant rollatine speak to the restaurant's roots, and a lightly breaded, tender chicken parmigiana covered in hearty marinara bears no resemblance to the deli hockey pucks that give the dish a bad name. Big appetites should be able to tackle the provolone and prosciutto-stuffed pork chops and zuppa di pesce, a plate of mussels, clams, calamari, scungilli, crab legs, shrimp, and lobster in a spicy broth. Along with thin-crust pizzas, there's also plenty of pasta, such as country style cavatelli with garlic and white kidney beans, and the classic linguini with clam sauce. — Matthew Benjamin

Calamari Calabrese, $11.50; chicken Parmigiana, $13.50; stuffed pork chops, $20.50; zuppa di pesce, $30.50