The ambiance can help you decide, too.

I love Italian food. Almost anywhere you go in the world, Italian food is known and liked. Perhaps its the sweetness of the tomato sauce, perhaps it’s the variety of flavors and ingredients, but Italian food is universally appreciated.

That’s not to say that it’s universally delicious, however. Some Italian food, in the middle American states of Kansas and Missouri, is quite middling. It’s best to eat Italian food prepared by Italians, so that you know what you are getting does not deviate widely from the authentic tastes and flavors culled from that boot-shaped country.

Brooklyn has long been a destination for Italian immigrants, which is why Brooklyn Italian restaurants are so prevalent and so well-respected. There are, however, ways to distinguish a fine restaurant that uses high quality ingredients, from an ordinary eggplant parmigiana style deli sandwich restaurant. The entrees on the menu are a good way to tell the quality of an Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. If you see dishes such as roasted pinenut crusted rack of lamb in port wine sauce with cauliflower, and hand made pappardelle with oxtail ragu you can bet you will be satisfied with an authentic delicious meal. Look at the wine list to double check, order a bottle of Montepulciano D’abruzzo, and then you can call it a meal!