My next stop on this food journey takes me to the northern part of the county to “Tony’s at Brentwood.” The proud owner of this restaurant is Antonio Bortone, or more commonly known to his customers, friends, and family as “Tony.” I consider this a hidden gem, which is located at 1005 Brentwood Parkway in Stockbridge. He offers various authentic Italian dishes, Neapolitan style and New York style pizzas.

  Tony was born in Sassano, which is in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. When Tony was 14, he and his family moved to Long Island, New York. This is where he learned the art of making pizza, while also learning how to make homemade Italian dishes. Although he enjoyed the food business, his true passion at that time was music. He joined the Army and was a member of the U.S. Army Band for a total of 26 years. In that span, their band must have been pretty darn good, as he played for five different U.S. presidents. His journey also took him to Germany for eight of those years, where their band traveled all over Europe. These travels are where he learned to appreciate the originality and his love for food.

  He retired from the Army in 2011, at which point he fulfilled his other passion, and in September of that year, he opened his current restaurant. The food he offers is a culmination of his roots in Italy, and the experience he obtained while cooking in pizza joints in and around Long Island. When I asked Tony what he wanted people to know about his establishment, he told me that everything he makes comes from his own recipes that were derived from his mother, from his early cooking days, or from collaborative efforts from his staff throughout the years.

  As with most Italians, family plays an important part in the operation of the business, and I found this to be the case here. Tony has three children, Angela, Tony and Alexandra. His son is one of the mainstays in the kitchen, tossing pizzas as well as preparing all the other delicious dishes. Angela was instrumental in helping her father early on when they first opened, and also painted the murals that are in the dining area. Alex, the youngest of the three, helps in the front of the house taking care of all the customers.

  As for the food, Tony took me in the kitchen and prepared his Spaghetti Carbonara. He used Guanciale, a delicious Italian style bacon. The seasoned pepper in this meat really makes this something that is truly authentic. He also showed me his technique in finishing this dish, blending the eggs with the parmesan cheese, and then tossing it with the pasta and Guanciale. If you have never had this dish, it is a must have! I couldn’t quit eating it! He also made one of his signature Neapolitan Pizzas, the Margherita. The dough on this pizza is made slightly different than the New York style dough, in the fact that he uses a 00 flour, which creates a different texture to the dough and can handle the higher temperatures of the pizza oven. Tony cooks these pizzas at 760°. The crust on this pizza is  perfect, and I mean perfect! It’s a mix between the dense New York style crust and the very light and airy type crust. He also used San Marzano tomatoes for his sauce. These plum tomatoes are considered to be the best of the best, and have a unique mellow sweetness to them. I also urge you pizza lovers to try one of these pizzas, you will not be disappointed! One dish I didn’t taste this time around was his lasagna. Tony uses his mother’s recipe for this dish, which is made with homemade sheets of pasta … can’t wait! I did however, finish my tasting with Tony’s homemade Tiramisu … also outstanding, with all the ingredients perfectly blended!

  I asked Tony, as I do all the proprietors, “what keeps you opening that front door day after day,” and his answer was, “the look on people’s faces when they taste my food.” I can attest to this, as in the short amount of time I was there, I heard comments from his customers that they are so glad he is open, and this was their favorite place to eat, and they travel a good distance to come there. Says a lot! He was voted “Best Pizza” in Stockbridge in 2019 by Guru. Even though Tony’s dining room is not reopened at this time, you can call in your orders to pick up or have them delivered by Grubhub. Another big “must visit” in Henry County!