QUALITY ITALIAN SINCE 1996

Established and family-owned since 1996, Italianissimo Ristorante Cafe and Bar has served Staten Island and beyond with the finest selections of Italian cuisine. Known for their reputation of excellence and quality, Chef Franco Ortega and his team have consistently exceeded customers’ expectations with classic and modern dishes served in a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Franco Ortega has loved cooking ever since he was a kid. Growing up in Ecuador, Franco has basically been working all his life in the restaurant business. A son of two cooks and years growing up in the kitchen, he never dreamed of turning his passion into a career until he got a big break at the age of seventeen. Working as a dishwasher to pay his way through school at Teresa’s - a Little Italy landmark - he would grab a pan and cook something for himself to eat on his break. One fateful night, the executive chef took notice.

That night, the chef told Franco he was a waste, a waste…as a dishwasher! With a raw talent and the desire to learn and grow, the chef took him under his wing giving Franco the education and training that would lead him to pursue a career in the culinary arts.

From that day, he hung up his dishwashers’ apron and finished school while working daily in Teresa’s busy kitchen, sometimes for close to 18 hours a day. He pulled inspiration from each line cook and chef he encountered building a vast repertoire of culinary skills and dishes.

With a hunger to learn, Ortega added stints at Pellegrino’s and Casa Bella in lower Manhattan as well as a job as line cook at Il Ponte in South Beach that allowed him to continue his education in Italian food. After years working in the field and a wealth of experience, Ortega developed his own style, merging his experience working in Italian restaurants with certain elements from the dishes he made with his parents growing up in Ecuador, like Carne Apanada.

Finding his place in Staten Island in the late 90s, two brothers bought the eatery he was working at and changed the name to Italianissimo. A decade later, in 2006 when they retired, Ortega knew it was his chance to both own his own place and continue a neighborhood tradition.

As the owner and executive chef of Italianissimo, Ortega concentrates much of his expertise on providing a menu that offers a little piece of everything combining all of his culinary experiences to provide authentic Italian cuisine from all regions Italy—original dishes peppered with elusive ingredients from a range of the peninsula’s coasts.

Fresh fish, seasonal produce, and searching the market for the finest ingredients is what creates something truly special for the guests of Italianissimo.

Nowadays, you can find Chef Franco working 12 hours daily in the kitchen of his restaurant, guiding staff and preparing dishes like Scallops Champagne, Tortellini Venezia with prosciutto, zucchini, carrots, and cream, and Bocconcino Paesano—a chicken, beef, and sausage dish braised with mushrooms, potatoes, peppers, and balsamic vinegar.

“In this business there’s long hours and no holidays, but I love what I do, and there’s no place I’d rather be.”

-Chef Franco Ortega