DeFonte's of Brooklyn

Hop on board the Staten Island ferry and bring an appetite to this Italian-American sandwich shop, where this iconic gem has been serving up eggplant parm subs, pork heroes smothered in tomato sauce and tangy, cucumber eggplant since 1922. The sandwich board is expansive, and the ordering system slightly convoluted, but, hey, that's part of DeFonte's charm. Hot heroes like potatoes with eggs are hearty enough to cure anyone's Monday morning ails, the Sinatra Special includes steak pizzaiola that would bring a twinkle to Old Blue Eyes, and the crispy fried eggplant atop the hot roast beef sandwich with house-made mozzarella or the Cuban sandwich with a twist on garlicky bread is just what the food doctor ordered.