Cortese Restaurant is the best of both worlds: It’s a classy spot to wine and dine your significant other and also the perfect local spot to bro out with the boys for Monday night football. Its extensive Italian cuisine is guaranteed to satisfy both your taste buds and your tummy.

Located at 117 Robinson St., Cortese has plenty of space — three dining rooms and a bar, to be exact. There’s always seating available for both small and large parties. Basically, you don’t have to be concerned about the nosy-looking couple sitting at the table next to yours.

Cortese is a family business, founded in 1947 by Angeline Cortese and her sons, James and Nathan. Unfortunately, a third son, Angelo, who always dreamed of running a restaurant, was killed while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Since then, the family has dedicated its time and energy to building a family-oriented establishment with an excellent reputation. In fact, to honor those who have served, current military members and veterans receive 15 percent off their meals. And there are definitely plenty of meals from which to choose.

A Restaurant Week dinner costs $25, at the higher end of the week’s offerings, but the price is well worth it. The portions are large, and you can probably have enough leftovers for another meal afterward. So think of it as paying for dinner for two nights. You can also go for lunch and drop $12 for a solid meal.

If spending more than $20 on a casual night out isn’t your style, don’t worry. Cortese has other options that may be more suitable for your price range. Salads, subs, wraps and pizzas (one of their specialties) are all around $10, yet still sizable.

But for Restaurant Week, my personal favorite is the Parmesan Sampler, which includes chicken, eggplant and pasta all smothered in delicious red sauce and tons of cheese, because everything is better when it’s covered in cheese.

If you’re looking to take advantage of Restaurant Week deals by going to one of the higher-end options, head to Cortese. The people, portions and parmesan are three things you don’t want to miss.