Red sauce and mozzarella? Is that how we riff on Italian-American cooking where Sunday iceberg salads and “parms” of every stripe are part of the all-star lineup? Or is it more to do with our preoccupation of kvelling over the gestalt of comfort food and the lack thereof when pointing to Portland restaurants that cater to this class of Italian cuisine?
Well wouldn’t you know I finally found it at a long-time Portland favorite road house where traditional Italian-American fare is served in abundance and style. Enter Bruno’s, owned by Bob Napolitano and aided by his son Dan. Dad started it all in the back of Micucci’s in the early 80s, moved around the Old Port as the brand grew and by 1999 found his way to the colonial looking structure in the bowels of Allen Avenue.
Bruno’s restaurant and tavern
Certainly it’s a stretch for peninsula purists to venture out there for lunch crawling along the Forest Avenue log jam. But come dinnertime, it’s easy sailing to Allen Avenue, about 2 1/2 miles from downtown Portland.
Bruno’s main dining room, top and bar/tavern, below
