Good, Cheap Italian in Brooklyn, NY?

We will be in Brooklyn in a few days, and I'll be looking to try at least one good old-fashioned red sauce restaurant somewhere in the borough. I'd prefer casual and inexpensive, and I'm willing to drive anywhere in Brooklyn if it's good. Thanks!

Difara's in Williamsburg is well known among board members for excellent pizza.

In additioon to that, in my opinion, there are two great Italian places in Park Ridge that are pretty reasonably priced.

La Villa serves a limited menu of outstanding pizzas and salads. That's the extent of their menu.

A few blocks doors down is al di la which serves traditional (read: real Italian) as opposed to red sauce Italian. I remember one dish there in particular, a ravioli filled with fava beans, mint and mascarpone that literally knocked my socks off.

al di la is very busy, and if memory serves me correctly does not take reservations.

La Villa Pizza
261 Fifth Avenue
Park Slope
Brooklyn

al di la
248 Fifth Avenue
Park Slope
Brooklyn.

For pizza, you can't go wrong with Grimaldi's. Lines can be long at peak times (no reservations), but the pies are delicious -- thin crust, top-notch ingredients, and a favorite of many.

Not a full Italian restaurant, though.

And afterward you can walk down to the river (1/2 block) to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, grab some pretty good ice cream, and enjoy the view of the skyline.


Grimaldi's Pizzeria
718.858.4300
19 Old Fulton St. under the Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
1 Water St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
nr. Old Fulton St.

Di fara's also has excellent pasta w/ meatballs. They are also known for any pizzas/entrees with fresh artichokes.

Also, Brooklyn Icecream is more than pretty good. It's the best non-gelato icecream I've ever had. It's very rich, but not oversweetened. Perfect texture. They have the most delicious bittersweet chocolate and fresh caramel sauces, too. Fresh lightly sweetened whipped cream. yummm.

This may not be a red sauce only place, but it would be hard to top.
http://frankiesspuntino.com/457/index.html

The restaurant that I think you want is Romano Restaurant: 7117-19 13th Avenue, Brooklyn 718-232-5226. This is red sauce Italian at its best in Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights.

Another choice is L&B Spumoni Gardens, 2725 86th Street, Brooklyn, 718-372-8400. In the heart of Bensonhurst (well on the edge actually). Founded in 1939. Great spumoni, casual, and great spumoni andi ices.
http://www.spumonigardens.com/

Founded in 1900 Bamonte's Restaurant, 718-384-8831 might be worth a visit to Williamsburg for Southern Italian cuisine.
http://www.bamontesrestaurant.com/

Note that DiFara is located in Midwood, miles from Williamsburg both geographically and culturally.

We ended up going to Di Fara (Midwood) and Michael's (Sheepshead Bay). Di Fara was outstanding, though what kept it from being my favorite pizza anywhere was the large amounts of olive oil poured onto the pizza from what looked like a watering can(!). Michael's was good (decent linguini pesto), though it was really the totally old-school atmosphere that made it memorable for me.