This is your sign to stop sleeping on strip mall restaurants. Some of the best spots in town are nestled into strip malls, but remain overlooked because locals assume they’re not as good as stand-alone places.

Italian restaurant Parmesan Pete’s has been open in North Naples since 2012, but still remains an underrated hidden gem. I only found out about it after a reader emailed me earlier this month suggesting that I try it. She claimed the food was “always delicious” and the restaurant had “huge servings.” I’m happy to report that she was absolutely correct.

It’s an intimate restaurant, with less than 15 indoor tables and only eight seats at the bar. Its charm is evident from the second you walk in and see the walls covered in black and white family photos that span decades.

But the real star of Parmesan Pete’s is, of course, the food. The restaurant specializes in Italian comfort food, from classic dishes to innovative appetizers.

There’s two dishes an Italian restaurant must execute properly to gain my stamp of approval: rice balls and meatballs. Parmesan Pete’s excels at both.

Rice balls will run you $5 a piece and if I’m being honest, I’d order 10 of them in one sitting. They’re crunchy on the outside, but warm, soft, and delicious on the inside. If rice balls aren’t constructed well, they’ll crumble apart. But the rice balls at Parmesan Pete’s stayed together perfectly, making it easy to enjoy.

Meatballs are $8 each and made to share. They’re fried and stuffed with chilled ricotta, which is the perfect balance of savory and creamy. I believe meatballs should always be served with ricotta, and Parmesan Pete’s agrees.

Parmesan Pete’s stuffed meatball ($8) is fried and filled with chilled ricotta, then served with house gravy.

Venture off of the normal menu and into the special chef’s menu and you’ll find a truffle honey burrata listed for $17. The creamy fresh burrata is served with fried zucchini, oven-roasted tomato, and ciabatta toast.

The entrees at Parmesan Pete’s are classics with generous portions. Our table ordered the chicken milanese, chicken parmesan, veal parmesan, and chicken prosciutto.

The chicken parmesan ($26) at Parmesan Pete’s is one of the best I’ve tried in Naples. The chicken is cooked perfectly and the sauce is delicious. It’s not acidic like other sauces I’ve had, which is a win in my book.

The chicken parm ($26) and chicken milanese ($25) were the stars of the night. My Italian mother-in-law is ultra-picky when it comes to chicken parmesan, but after one bite of the dish at Parmesan Pete’s, she proclaimed it was the best in Naples.

The house sauce served over chicken parm can make or break the dish, and luckily for Parmesan Pete’s, the sauce was absolutely perfect. It’s not acidic like other tomato-based sauces can be, which makes it easy to enjoy. The chicken itself is cooked perfectly, and the portion size is huge. You can absolutely split entrees and still be satisfied.

The chicken milanese is something I’d order over and over again. It’s perfectly tenderized chicken, topped with fresh arugula, grape tomatoes, and bright red onion, then drizzled with lemon vinaigrette and balsamic. Try to get all elements on the plate on your fork for the perfect taste every time.

If you want something fresh and bright, order the Chicken Milanese ($25).

Make sure if you’re celebrating a birthday at Parmesan Pete’s that you tell the host when you call to make a reservation. If you do, you’ll receive a card with a handwritten message and a free dessert. These little touches make a birthday feel even more special.