Royal Crown

Even at 2pm on a Friday, Royal Crown is packed. Groups of Staten Islanders who come here every weekend crowd the covered patio to eat shrimp parmesan, and discuss the location of next week’s cribbage match. There’s also a deli, where you can pick up sandwiches or meatballs for dinner tonight, and a bakery that sells giant tiramisu, tricolor cookies, and other Italian sweets that you’ll want several pounds of. A seat on the counter-service patio is worth it for some Islander gossip, and a steamy bowl of broccoli rabe and sausage pasta. But if you don’t have time, grab a vodka chicken parm hero, and scarf the glistening, orange beauty down in the parking lot. (Because this is Staten Island, and there are parking lots.)