WILLIAMSBURG — The brass band came marching into Bamonte’s on July 19, playing tunes that had diners clapping their hands, tapping their toes, and bobbing their heads.
It wasn’t quite the dinnertime music that most people think of when they’re dining out in trendy Williamsburg on a Sunday evening.
But this was no ordinary Sunday evening, and this was no ordinary brass band at the timeless Italian restaurant.
July 19 marked the end of the 12-day feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Williamsburg, many of whom walk one block to Withers Street to Bamonte’s to enjoy a feast after the feast.
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On the final day, members of the Giglio Band, the musicians who are one of the mainstays of the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s feast, marched from the feast to Bamonte’s to play for their supper.
To the delight of diners, many of whom stood on their chairs and waved their napkins in the air, the band treated people to such tunes as “When the Saints Come Marching In,” “New York, New York,” and “Sweet Caroline.”
“This is the hottest reservation in Williamsburg today,” said Danny Vecchiano, the band leader who has been capping off the feast by marching into Bamonte’s for 37 years. “We would come in here and do exactly what we did out there for the crowd, eat a little something [and] entertain again.”
Vecchiano added that the band members love the tradition, and Bamonte’s is the perfect place to continue the celebration.
“This restaurant’s been here for so long. People just identify with it,” he explained. “The food has always been outstanding, so people come back here to have a taste of the old neighborhood again.”
Bamonte’s has been serving up dishes since the dawn of the 20th century. Originally called Liberty Hall, the restaurant was established by Pasquale Bamonte shortly after he emigrated from his native Salerno, Italy, to the U.S. and settled in New York City.
Still in the hands of the Bamonte family 126 years later, Pasquale’s grandson Anthony, his three daughters, Lisa, Laura, and Nicole, and his sister Anita currently operate the eatery.
The menu features traditional Italian fare such as spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, baked ziti, manicotti, along with other favorites like steak pizzaiola. It is also famous for its seafood, including calamari casserole, a filet of flounder, broiled lobster tails, and shrimp marinara.
In addition, according to the owners, Bamonte’s kitchen is where the world was first introduced to chicken parmigiana — a dish that is a staple on many dinner tables.
As legend has it, Pasquale Bamonte was behind the stove one day in 1945 when he realized he had run out of eggplant to make his well-known Eggplant Parmigiana. So, he substituted chicken for the eggplant, and a new culinary staple was born.
The secret to the restaurant’s longevity goes beyond its menu, according to Lisa Bamonte, who said they treat customers like family.
“This is our home away from home,” she said, “and we invite everyone into our home to be part of our extended family.”
If you think you have seen Bamonte’s on some of your favorite television shows, you would be right. Hollywood loves Bamonte’s as much as Brooklyn does.
Scenes from many shows, including “The Sopranos,” “Blue Bloods,” “Kojak,” “Person of Interest,” and “Power,” have been filmed in the legendary restaurant.
Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, pastor of the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, called the band’s mini concert at Bamonte’s one of the feast’s great traditions.
“Most people see the dancing of the Giglio and the procession of our lady. But there are so many other things that go on,” he said. “This feast has so many traditions.
“It’s all wrapped around the church and that whole faith experience of faith, family, neighborhood, community, and friends. That’s what it’s all about.”
