10 Best American Italian Restaurants You've Never Heard Of but Must Visit
With dishes like chicken parmesan, lasagna, and spaghetti and meatballs, Italian food ranks as one of the foremost comfort cuisines in America, with plenty of reputable restaurants to show for it. The crowd-pleasing appeal is what makes Italian chains so prolific, and while a bottomless pasta bowl at Olive Garden might scratch that itch now and again, it can't hold a candle to enjoying a meal at an independent Italian restaurant, where they're making pasta and pizza from scratch, adorning charcuterie boards like meaty works of art, and pouring wine from the finest regions in Italy — and/or New Mexico.
Destination-worthy Italian restaurants are familiar and frequent attractions in big cities like New York and Chicago, and other metropolises have sizable Italian communities all their own, but in between the well-trod institutions, real-deal Italian restaurants are making marinara magic in under-the-radar cities too. Some skew chic and decadent, pairing contemporary cooking with skyline views, while others honor old-school techniques and red sauce rituals. No matter what style of Italian cooking is your preference, rest assured there's a hidden gem out there waiting for you. As at these 10 best American Italian restaurants you've never heard of, but absolutely must visit.
Osteria Stella in Knoxville, Tennessee
In the Old City district of Knoxville, you'll find old-world influences with decidedly modern flair. It's all courtesy of Osteria Stella, the Northern Italian inspiration of owners/operators Aaron Thompson and Jessica King. Consulting with Milanese chef Amalia Brusati, the menu is the real deal, spotlighting regional dishes that emphasize quality over quantity — most dishes feature just a smattering of ingredients at their freshest and finest, such as crispy saffron-scented arancini, and parmigiano-filled tortelli ravioli with artichoke beurre blanc, all paired with a robust Italian wine selection that focuses on family- and/or woman-run wineries. The space, too, has the naturally cozy hustle and bustle of a convivial Italian institution-in-the-making, while the same owners operate an Italian aperitivio bar, Brother Wolf, right next door.
Bellini in Providence, Rhode Island
The veritable godfathers of upscale Italian cuisine, the Cipriani family is the force behind global icons like Harry's Bar in Venice, where — among other accolades — the Bellini cocktail was invented. And in case you can't fly to Venice for a cocktail, the next best thing is the aptly named Bellini restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island. Here, on the ground floor of the luxe Beatrice hotel, the legendary Cipriani family once again strikes gold, with an Italian restaurant at once authentic, inventive, and celebratory. The namesake cocktail, made with fresh peach puree and Prosecco, is a requisite libation, well-matched with rustic-chic Italian dishes, like grass-fed beef tenderloin carpaccio, creamy truffle polenta, baked taglioni with bechamel and smoked ham, and grilled lamb chops with carrot puree. The dazzling dining room is as much a feast for the eyes, as the food is for the mouth.
DiTondo in Buffalo, New York
What's old is new again at DiTondo, a classic Italian restaurant in Buffalo that started out as a frills-free neighborhood joint in the 1930s, owned by Italian immigrant Sebastiano Di Tondo. Four generations later, and the restaurant is still in the family, albeit the focus has shifted to farm-to-table ingredients with a regional Italian showcase. Thus, DiTondo today represents a smart mix of local ingredients and purveyors, married with the family's affinity for scratch-made cookery and authenticity. Start with habit-forming parmigiano puffs, or an antipasto platter brimming with charcuterie, mozzarella, and focaccia. The rest of the menu is concise but mighty, with pastas like gnocchi with Adirondack blue potatoes, wild-caught shrimp, and Prosecco sauce, and entrees such as grilled swordfish with parsley, lemon, and capers. Finish on a subtly sweet note with polenta-almond crumble cookies.
Trattoria il Panino in Boston, Massachusetts
In a sea of Italian restaurants, Trattoria il Panino stands out in Boston's North End. The historic Italian neighborhood teems with trattorias and pizzerias, but this cozy spot — complete with a sizable covered patio — doubles down on old-school charm by matching black-and-white Italian photos with heaping platters of cheesy pastas, garlicky sautéed mussels, ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers, and much more. They have a reputation for their show-stopping espresso martinis, and there's a casual late-night menu on Fridays and Saturdays.
Via Vecchia in Portland, Maine
Nestled in Portland's Old Port, Via Vecchia blends the best of Italy with coastal Maine. It's got some of the best meatballs in the country, but the vast menu skews contemporary and heavily influenced by seasonality. At any given time of year, this could mean small plates like fried Brussels sprouts with pomegranate agrodolce, scallop crudo with peach vinaigrette, braised short ribs with zucchini caponata, and filet with broccoli rabe and roasted baby carrots. Pastas include some lesser-known styles, like lumache, a short pasta in the shape of a snail shell, served with vodka sauce, Calabrian chili oil, and burrata. In addition to their Italian wine list, Via Vecchia features inventive and intricate cocktails, like the Rattleskull, with sherry, rum, Madeira, oatmeal stout cordial, and a whole egg.
Mona Lisa Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana
On the quieter, eastern edge of New Orleans' famed French Quarter, Mona Lisa mixes camp with comfort food. While much of this area is renowned for its Cajun and Creole restaurants, especially in the touristy Quarter, Mona Lisa offers a transportive Italian atmosphere that feels straight out of the Tuscan countryside — albeit every inch of the interior is covered in Mona Lisa caricatures. The friendly restaurant is as tasty as it is fun, keeping things classic with soulful Italian dishes like garlic bread, sausage-stuffed mushrooms, meatball subs, and the namesake Mona Lisa Special pizza, with pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, mushroom, black olive, bell peppers, and onions. A popular spot among locals in-the-know, Mona Lisa is also perfect for date night, and sharing linguini and meatballs, a la Lady and the Tramp.
Stella Modern Italian Cuisine in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
In the heart of Midtown Oklahoma City, Stella Modern Italian Cuisine feels like the consummate neighborhood institution. It's the kind of pulsing restaurant, simultaneously contemporary and comfortably casual, where regulars frequent their favorite seats at the bar, overlooking the wood-fired oven. It's the kind of place for date nights and celebrations, or even just simply enjoying a seasonal flatbread with a glass of Italian wine. Service, too, channels the heart of soul of Italian hospitality at its warmest. Pro tip: go on Sunday night, when wine by the bottle is half price, and pair it with one of their oak-fired pizzas, like the grilled chicken pizza with shaved Brussels sprouts, sun-dried tomato, red chili flake, fontina, and parmesan cream.
Seneca Trattoria in San Diego, California
It feels almost like a misnomer to call San Diego's Seneca Trattoria a mere Italian restaurant. Perched on the 19th floor of the waterside InterContinental, with panoramic views from its plant-filled terrace, it's a Roman-inspired trattoria from a hospitality group, CH Projects, that excels in maximalism. From your first steps off the elevator, into an immersive atmosphere that feels utterly European, it's more than an Italian meal — it's a show-stopping dinner experience. Complete with an ever-changing menu that runs the gamut from wood-fired eggplant with grilled bread to Calabrian sausage pizza, bone-in pork chops, and mafalda pasta with pine nuts, currants, and chili oil. Cocktails and mocktails are equally intriguing, including non-alcoholic offerings like a juicy apricot mocktail with lemon, orgeat, and orange blossom.
il Poggio in Snowmass, Colorado
Something about slurping pasta in a snowy mountain town just feels right. Which is what makes il Poggio, a longstanding institution in the Colorado town of Snowmass, such an enduring delight. Located in the middle of the outdoor Snowmass Mall, steps away from its namesake ski mountain, il Poggio has been pouring rich Italian wines, slicing pizzas, and saucing pastas since 1989. That legacy is well-deserved, as seasoned servers welcome locals and tourists alike into a space that feels authentic, unpretentious, and endearing. Their pastas are particularly special, from the sweet potato ravioli to the fettuccine with lamb ragu, and there's an ample selection of amaros and digestifs to pair with your tiramisu.
The Trinity Hotel in Carlsbad, New Mexico
Dining in New Mexico often entails green chiles, blue corn, and other sun-kissed ingredients native to the southwestern desert. But at The Trinity Hotel in Carlsbad, it's the perfect harmony of local New Mexican ingredients — including New Mexican wine — with Italian inspiration. Located in a historic bank building from 1892, the restaurant (which shares the same name as the present-day boutique hotel) offers fresh renditions of Italian classics, like bruschetta, calamari, spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken Marsala, but it's the dishes that spice up tradition that really set it apart. Such as the Lasagna Bolloco, made with organic chicken from a local farm and alfredo sauce infused with Hatch green chile. Much of the wines come from The Trinity's own vineyard in New Mexico, rounding out the locally sourced Italian experience quite nicely.
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