Stockbridge: Tony’s at Brentwood
WINTER 2025
By: Jerry Belcastro
My next pizza journey takes me to the northwestern 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 true hidden gem. Tony’s 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, in the Salerno province 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. The food he offers is a culmination of his roots in Italy, and his 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 derived from his mother, his early cooking days, or from collaborative efforts from his staff throughout the years.
One of my favorites on his menu is the spaghetti carbonara. Tony uses Guanciale, a delicious Italian-style bacon, and seasoned pepper, making this dish truly authentic. The key technique in finishing this pasta dish is blending the eggs with the parmesan cheese and then tossing it with the pasta and Guanciale. If you have never had this spaghetti carbonara, it is a must-try!
Now, let’s move on to PIZZA!! One of Tony’s signature Neapolitan Pizzas is the Margherita. The dough of this pizza is made slightly different than the New York style dough. Tony uses a 00 flour, which creates a different texture to the dough and allows for higher temperatures in the pizza oven. These pizzas are cooked at 760 degrees. The crust on this pizza is perfect! It’s a mix of the density you’d expect in New York-style crust but is lighter and more airy. Adding to the flavors of this pizza is the use of San Marzano tomatoes for the sauce. These plum tomatoes are considered to be the best of the best and have a unique mellow sweetness to them.
When it comes to his New York-style pizza, the crust is perfect….takes me right to Little Italy in New York!
What sets Tony apart from most pizza and Italian restaurants is that he is from Italy. He prepares everything from scratch. This is one of a few places where I can confidently say, you will not be disappointed with anything on the menu.
Tony’s is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to10pm.
