It’s hard to argue with the Neapolitan pizza-making prowess of Dino Santonicola, the Naples-born chef who opened Partenope after years at the popular Cane Rosso chain. His pizza crusts have a sourdough-type flavor, which underpins any combination of toppings. But Partenope is a well-rounded Italian restaurant that also has terrific made-from-scratch pastas, unusually interesting salads and more. A must try is the monster-sized sandwiches, which use extraordinary pillowy loaves of bread made in-house. The bread is our favorite part, to be honest, but if you want a spicy sandwich — truly spicy, not just a bit of flavor — grab the Super Jeff, with hot soppressata and a mayo that’s spiked with Calabrian chile peppers.

Top pick: We love the attention paid to veggie sides and starters here, like crispy Brussels sprouts and eggplant stewed in a super-thick, hearty tomato sauce. Partenope is also a good spot to bring spicy food lovers: Aside from the Super Jeff, it also has delicious, pepper-laced spaghetti allo scarpariello and penne alla amatriciana. ($$)