Staten Island Restaurant Tour, Part XXXIII: Don Roberto’s Classic Italian (West Brighton)

Staten Island Zoo.

Perhaps an alpaca is not what you expect to see in a comfort-food tour of New York’s Secret Borough. Perhaps what you have in mind is something more like a big dish of chicken scarpariello, laden with mouth-watering braised poultry, Italian sausage, potatoes, garlic, and tongue-tingling hot peppers. But what if you could have both in one blog? Welcome to the 32nd episode of the SIRT, which includes a visit to the Staten Island Zoo.

Located in Barrett Park, at the corner of Clove Road and Martling Avenue.

Staten Island neighborhood boundaries are famously amorphous. Wikipedia considers West Brighton to be a synonym for West New Brighton. But Google Maps, MapQuest, and numerous real estate websites consider West Brighton, in the bottom left corner, to be a distinct area to the south of West New Brighton — and southwest of New Brighton.

Courtesy of Google Maps.

Yes, that’s three Brightons. Confused yet? Look, they got kangaroos.

Marsupials at leisure.

Then I probably shouldn’t add that the ferry-centric neighborhood of St. George was once known as Brighton as well. Try not to think of it. Instead, admire this awesome sheep, which I did not have for lunch.

Not the black sheep of the family.

Look, a peacock! Spot quiz: The peacock is the symbol of what television network that changed the course of American history by giving a certain individual his own reality show?

Not on full display today.

The peacock raised his head to give me a dirty look. Or maybe just a quizzical one.

With peacocks, you can never tell.

The original Brighton lost its name when a real estate developer, Erastus Wiman, renamed it after another real estate developer, George Law, in return for selling the land for the ferry terminal: “I will canonize you, George, if you will sell me that land.” At that point it became St. George, and then then all all broke loose. Parts of the dismembered remains became the other three Brightons, none of which is just called Brighton, period, anymore. What a thought. Put it out of your mind. Look at these ponies instead.

A sign said they might bite but they didn’t.

This is a Nigerian dwarf goat.

A long way from the old watering hole.

More dwarf goats having a snack.

Which made me think of lunch impending.

This type of sheep is found in the UK. Image search found a sample in Wales.

Just relaxin’.

Best shot I got of an elusive emu.

As it flitted into and out of view.

There was a Pollinator Garden. I salute the bees for providing critical pollinating support to other life on earth, including myself, though I didn’t need to get up close and personal with them. They were probably in the rolling hives at right.

Pollinate in peace, bees.

For some reason I didn’t feel compelled to penetrate the Hall of Reptiles.

I see enough of them on the peacock network.

Kid-friendly Barrett Park included a merry-go-round.

No rollercoaster, though.

It also had a shaded pavilion for picnicking, though the day was too cool for that, and I had other lunch plans.

Which we’ll get to in a moment.

Yikes, a Tyrannosaurus Rex along Clove Road. Call 911! Oh, it’s just a model.

Whew.

Though the Bronto looked concerned too. But T Rex had his eye on the Triceratops at the other end.

What a relief.

Coming soon — red pandas and bald eagles. That might be worth a return visit.

The SI Zoo is a work in progress.

I exited the Zoo and found my way down Broadway, another stretch of which graced the episode on West New Brighton, and found my way to Forest Avenue, the commercial heart of West Brighton. On the way to the restaurant, bent on chicken scarpariello, I ran across the local ravioli store. With all the big meals I’ve been having lately, I thought it prudent not to stop by.

But what a temptation — fresh ravioli.

I first got the idea for this episode’s eats from Trattoria Vento. Alas, I had not done my due diligence. It is closed on Mondays.

Presumably after doing good business over the weekend.

Fortunately, I was able to score some scarpariello at Don Roberto’s Classic Italian, just down the street.

Post-Zoo lunch spot.

Political signage out front: “No nonsense.” “Fed up like you.”

But getting fed was more my agenda.

Colorful names on the cocktail menu, at left, laid on top of the main menu. I was tempted to have a Martini “My Way” but I had both a heavy meal and a long trip home in store. There, under entrees, was my chicken scarpariello. I noted the difference in spelling from Trattoria Vento’s chicken scarpello. A quick google suggested the Don’s preference is the dominant one in Italian cuisine.

Twin temptations.

The interior can accommodate large groups…

One of which was just leaving when I arrived in mid-afternoon.

…or small groups…

Table for six, please.

…or even a solo diner like myself, if you come, as I did, in the middle of a weekday afternoon. The focaccia bread was warm, toasty, and fragrant with rosemary. And, man, was I hungry after looking at all those uncooked lamp chops at the Zoo. The focaccia was quickly devoured.

Didn’t even wait to dip it in the scarpariello sauce.

Once again I marveled at how the olive oil in a good Italian restaurant is miles ahead of anything I can buy in a supermarket or even a gourmet store. This one had a spicy kick to it. I used it to dip the focaccia bread.

Left dish emptied, right one untouched. Some days you just don’t need butter.

Ladies and gentlemen, Don Roberto’s chicken scarpariello.

Oh yes.

A half-dozen hunks of tender braised chicken were augmented with Italian sausage and surrounded by roast potatoes, sliced garlic, a touch of fresh basil, and big circular slices of hot peppers, presumably Italian but similar to jalapeños, floating in a lake of gravy-like sauce with an outer ring of that beautiful olive oil.

It was both magnificent and hearty.

My business in West Brighton was done. But after getting back on the Forest Avenue bus, the S48, I was intrigued by this passing candycane stripe and resolved to investigate it on a return trip.

What was that?

It was the King’s Arms Diner…

Back to Forest Avenue.

…in business since 1955. The manager was on the doorstep and didn’t mind having his picture taken.

“Take as many as you want,” he offered graciously.

The lady facing me, at left, wasn’t as thrilled to have her image captured. She tipped her face into her hands to avoid the phone cam. I discreetly cropped her out with an in-camera edit as I did my interior shots of the nice etched-glass dividers. I spend a lot of time around ferries and concert halls and other New York sights, so I must be in thousands of people’s pictures, but, you know, different strokes.

Soothing tan and green-turquoise color scheme.

The old-fashioned diner menu, its thick laminated pages loaded with the goodies you’d expect in a NY/NJ diner, came in a hunter-green gilt-embossed leather folder. Awesome. I was already glad I came.

Diner menu chic.

I chose one of the specials, all of which contained kidney-stone triggers, but the recommendation is limit, don’t eliminate. The special came with choice of soup or salad, two veg, and dessert. This was the Tour’s first plate of back ribs (which are usually pork).

Though I’ve done short ribs (which are usually beef) in the past.

I went for the salad, to assuage imminent pork-induced guilt. It featured fresh dark green romaine with minimal touches of black olive, grape tomato, and a single fresh onion ring on top.

The lone onion ring was a nice touchj.

By the time the ribs arrived, my camera-averse companion at the facing table had gone.

Scarpered before the scarpariello. I mean the ribs.

Which was a good thing…

Don Roberto’s back ribs.

…because I fell on those things like a pack of wolves. I opted for yellow rice with the ribs. For the second side, I asked for broccoli, but added I’d take whatever they had.

That turned out to be string beans in salty tomato sauce.

The chocolate pudding was the color of a dwarf goat.

You can have your pudding if you eat your meat.

On the way back, a family admired the Statue of Liberty. Like their dream trip to NYC, my staycation to Staten Island was drawing to a close. This is the third-to-last episode of the SIRT. The next one will take me to yet another Brighton and then to one more man-made lake. I would say I’ll miss this place. But I don’t think I’ll ever stop coming here.

Dad, son, and mom on the ferry.

Previously on the Staten Island Restaurant Tour:

Part I: Angelina’s (Tottenville)

Part II: Fina’s Farmhouse (Arthur Kill)

Part III: Laila (Richmond Valley)

Part IV: Il Forno (Pleasant Plains)

Part V: Breaking Bread (Prince’s Bay)

Part VI: Woodrow Diner (Huguenot)

Part VII: Il Sogno (Annadale)

Part VIII: Riva (Eltingville)

Part IX: Marina Cafe (Great Kills)

Part X: Do Eat (Bay Terrace)

Part XI: Canlon’s (Oakwood Heights)

Part XII: Prince Tea House (New Dorp)

Part XIII: Inca’s Peruvian Grille (Grant City)

Part XIV: Colonnade Diner (Jefferson Avenue)

Part XV: Baci (Dongan Hills)

Part XVI: Chinar on the Island (Old Town)

Part XVII: Cinco de Mayo (Grasmere)

Part XVIII: Phil-Am Kusina (Clifton)

Part XIX: Lakruwana (Stapleton)

Part XX: Pier 76 (Tompkinsville)

Part XXI: Chang Noi Thai (St. George)

Part XXII: Mike’s Unicorn Diner (Bulls Head)

Part XXIII: Melt Shop (New Springville)

Part XXIV: Da Noi (Travis)

Part XXV: Big Nose Kate’s Saloon (Rossville)

Part XXVI: The Manor (Manor Heights)

Part XXVII: Luk & Bart Homemade Food (Mariners Harbor)\

Part XXVIII: Rinconcito Paisa (Graniteville)

Part XXIX: New Dinette (Port Richmond)

Part XXX: The Stone House (Clove Lakes Park)

Part XXXI: Hitto Ramen (Castleton Corners)

Part XXXII: Primos Famous Pizzeria (West New Brighton)

If you’re enjoying the Staten Island Restaurant Tour, please follow my blog by clicking follow next to my name at the top. Then subscribe to get emails on new episodes. You can also subscribe to the SIRT channel on YouTube. For offline reading, the first 21 episodes of the SIRT are available as an ebook. See you soon!