By Cathy Burroughs
My grandmother was 100% Italian and very particular about eating Italian food out at a restaurant. She was an amazing cook, so I had to make sure that I only took her to the most authentic places or else. We have spanned the country to uncover old world flavors and the best Italian restaurants that would impress even the toughest grandmas around. Plus we sprinkled in a couple of spots that have put a new twist on Italian classics.
Ristorante Fiore – Boston
Boston’s North End has many fabulous Italian restaurants. One of our faves is Ristorante Fiore which takes you back to Italy. They have a great assortment of pastas plus traditional preparations for their fresh seafood. The owner learned not in culinary school but rather in his family’s kitchen as a young boy. We picked this place before we even knew that Fiore hails from Avellino in southern Italy where my family has roots.
Coco Pazzo – Chicago
When the menu includes branzino, artichokes and pappardelle with meat sauce you know the place is legit. Expect wonderful food with a wide variety of pastas to pick from. You could eat here once a week and rarely repeat items. Al Capone would have eaten here – enough said.
Delfina – San Fran
If you are going to break the rules and use the canoli sweet cheese inside of your raviolis, then you better make it fabulous. This place does not disappoint from their apricot bellinis to their mint tagliatelle with porcinis. The laid back atmosphere is the icing on the cake.
Stella Marina – On the Beach in Asbury Park, NJ
The food is the star here but the view cannot be beat. Maybe that is why they decided to have two levels at this ocean-side eatery so that more diners could enjoy it. The octopus should not be missed but you really can’t go wrong with eggplant parm, calamari, pasta with vodka sauce or the veal scallopine. Their pizzas are gourmet and they pull off the fig topping so well. Only Tony Soprano doesn’t have to wait for a table so call ahead.
Melograno – Philly
The chef was born in Rome. That is always 2 thumbs up in the grandma voting system. Using pecorino romano in your meatballs and making chicken livers taste good also score points in any system. The pappardelle with wild boar ragu and the branzino are superb. Rocky would load up on carbs here.
Sotto Sotto – Atlanta
Any spot serving a recipe from Michelangelo should be on your radar. Yes they also do serve Priest Strangler pasta but don’t worry about any funny business as it’s just the Italian name of the pasta shape. Sotto Sotto is a quaint neighborhood eatery that could be in the Italian countryside instead of Inman Park in Atlanta. Go with the pasta here as it is so fresh and delightful.
Carmine’s – NY
This is family style old school Italian at its finest. Since it is located at 44th and 7th in the Theater District, we have feasted here before and after many a Broadway Show. Do NOT come here with only 2 people as the portions are enormous and meant for sharing with small groups. Go with the chicken parm, eggplant parm, veal parm and the rigatoni with sausage and broccoli.
Locanda Verde – NY
When Time Out NY declared that Chef Carmellini “cooks like an Italian grandmother”, we knew we had to find a spot on our list too. Try the beet ravioli or the pappardelle with lamb bolognese. This place is also excellent for lunch. The coolest part is that the food is so solid that they do not need to even mention that Robert De Niro is one of the owners.
Aldo’s – Baltimore
Baltimore has an excellent Little Italy section and Aldo’s is a nice anchor in the neighborhood. They have their own below ground cheese cave for Pete’s sake. What more do you want? You’ll want to try every item on the menu so you might want to sample and share a few like the lobster risotto, veal saltimbocca or porcini agnollotti with black truffle butter. You also cannot go wrong with any seafood in this harbor town.
Zeppoli – Collingswood, NJ (15 minutes from Philly)
No, we did not select them because their website looks so cool. Nor did they make the list just for serving tasty zeppolis which are Italian fried doughnut balls that dance around powered sugar. Go for the spinach gnocchi, almond pistachio fusili or lemon tagliatelli.
Basilico – Millburn, NJ (near Union and Newark)
The pastas are amazing with plenty of choices. Also try the veal ossobuco, short ribs or their famous cream of wild mushroom soup. These guys are from Italy so you know the flavors are there. BYOB is a nice bonus.
B & B – At The Venetian in Las Vegas
Mario Batali is an orange clog wearing Italian culinary master and he has brought his red, white and green touch to Vegas. From the expert sommelier to the colorful and delicious plates, B&B is an experience you won’t soon forget. Go for a few small plates like the beef cheek ravioli with black truffles, crushed duck liver and the stinging nettle pappardelle with wild boar ragu — absolutely delectable! Want to cook like this from home? Make sure you ask the staff for a copy of “Molto Italiano” before you leave! Check out our podcast with culinary ninja and Iron Chef Mario Batali as he chats with Steven Striker about his cuisine.
