10 Things You Didn't Know About Marco Polo Ristorante

This week Marco Polo Ristorante, located at 345 Court Street, celebrates its 30th year as a Carroll Gardens restaurant—no small feat in a city with a voracious appetite for newness.

But a recent interview between Chef/owner Marco Chirico and the Village Voice discussing the evolution of the popular dining spot may provide insight into what has helped make it so successful. Here, we've distilled some of the most interesting tidbits you might be unaware of:

10 Things You Didn't Know About Marco Polo Ristorante

1. The restaurant opened in June 1983.

2. In the early days, "Joe DiMaggio had his own table, and Joe Torre came to [visit] once. It wasn't crazy media back then, so people could be more relaxed and enjoy themselves."

3. One regular has been coming to the restaurant for 30 years straight...

4. ...and some of the staff have been working at Marco Polo for going on 15 years.

5. Everything is homemade, from the pastas to the desserts and ice creams.

6. After an interior remodel last year, the restaurant menu was also updated to include newer, healthier, seasonal dishes like "farro with zucchini" and a signature cocktail menu. Gluten-free versions of pasta dishes are also available.

7. But you can still get some of the classic dishes that have existed since the opening, such as Oysters Rockefeller, the Marco Polo Caesar or the Traditional Rack of Lamb.

8. Those classic dishes continue to attract customers from as far as "California or South Carolina."

9. The restaurant has its own little garden "with vegetables and cherry tomatoes and stuff like that."

10. Plus, there is currently a delicious, house-made Blood Orange digestif on the menu that could give trendy Fernet Branca a run for its money.