Pine Restaurant ★9.1

Pine Restaurant: Half a Century of Family Celebrations

Some restaurants serve dinner; the Pine hosts milestones. Since 1969 this Morris Park landmark has been where Bronx families gather for christenings, graduations, anniversaries and the kind of Sunday dinners that stretch past sunset — with portions that assume the whole clan showed up.

The Story

Calabrian brothers Francesco and Giovanni Bastone bought an old tavern called the Pine, couldn’t afford a new sign, so they added their initials and got to work cooking their mother’s recipes. Frankie and Johnnie’s little storefront grew room by room into a grand two-level dining complex with banquet halls — and along the way became a beloved haunt of Yankees players and New York politicians, whose photographs still crowd the walls like a family album.

What to Order

Dinner opens with family-style bread and salad, and the menu rewards committee decisions: a porterhouse for two carved for the table, zuppa di pesce brimming with shellfish, the rigatoni alla vodka that regulars refuse to skip, and Calabrian-style calamari in hot cherry pepper sauce. A raw bar covers the celebration crowd, and leftovers go home in proud stacks of containers — that’s tradition, not defeat.

The Space

A sweeping two-level dining room painted with a mural of an old Italian block, long tables made for extended families, and a gallery of baseball memorabilia that turns the walk to your seat into a museum lap. Come summer, a private garden takes the party outside under the open sky.

Who It’s For

Big family occasions, nostalgic Bronx expats back for a taste of childhood, and couples who like their date night seasoned with local history.

Good to Know

How far ahead should I book for a party? For weekend banquets, call a few weeks out — celebration season fills the private rooms quickly.

Is it kid-friendly? Very. This is a family restaurant in the literal sense; high chairs and patient waiters included.

What’s the dress code? None to speak of — you’ll see everything from suits fresh off a christening to Yankees jerseys.

Can two people dine here without over-ordering? Split one pasta and one entree and you’ll still likely take a box home.

When does the garden open? In the warm months — ask for garden seating when you book, as tables there go first.

Opening hours