Fine Italian cheese

Any serious diner who frequents Chicago knows about Spiaggia. Not only is this one of the best Italian restaurants in Chicago, it’s one of the best in the country. For more than 25 years, it’s been impressing both diners and critics with exceptional food, service, and fabulous ambience. For a special evening out, Spiaggia is hard to beat.

The tiered dining room features floor-to-ceiling windows with drop-dead gorgeous views of Lake Michigan and Oak Street Beach.

Chef Tony Mantuano, the original driving force here, remains actively involved. The 2005 winner of the James Beard Foundation Best Chef in the Midwest award, Mantuano trained in some of Italy’s best restaurants before settling in Chicago.

Spiaggia is the only restaurant in the Windy City to receive a four-star rating from both Chicago Magazine and the Chicago Tribune. And it has won the Tribune’s Good Eating Award. In perhaps the most compelling endorsement, President-elect Barrack Obama had his presidential election victory dinner here in 2008.

Mantuano has assembled a top-notch team including Executive Chef Sarah Grueneberg, who has been with Spiaggia since 2005. Grueneberg spent part of 2009 perfecting her craft in several Italian restaurants with three Michelin stars.

Sommelier Steven Alexander has built a best-in-class wine list and developed an innovative wine program that showcases Barolo, Barbaresco, and Collio wines. Many of the wines on the Spiaggia wine list were introduced to America here, and Alexander has also brought artisanal Italian beers to Chicago.

Spiaggia uses the finest available ingredients and makes virtually all their Italian food from scratch. The menu changes often and is designed to make the most of seasonal ingredients, which might feature delicacies like truffles, and foie gras. The dishes here are not complex – they are made sublime by the quality of the ingredients.

The a la carte menu includes starters like wood-roasted diver scallops, pancetta-wrapped rabbit, and sweet corn and crab soup. For special occasions, Petrossian Royal Osetra Caviar is available. Pastas are simple, yet exquisite. And there’s usually a gnocchi and risotto selection among the primi piatti.

You’ll find several superb seafood choices available for your main course, often salmon or halibut. And lamb, pork, and veal are frequently on the menu.

The seven-course tasting menu provides the opportunity to sample many incredible dishes. At $160 per person, it’s not for the faint of heart. But you won’t be disappointed. Wine pairings are an additional $90 per person.

Italian wine

The Cava di Stagionature, which was introduced in 2002, is the first cheese-aging cave in the Midwest. A truly impressive selection of goat’s, cow’s, and sheep’s milk cheeses is imported from Italy and served in perfect condition from a trolley. In addition to Pecorino, Parmigiano Regianno, and Gorgonzola, you can sample rarely available cheeses like Robiola Tre Latto and Ragusano. Seasonal condiments are created to complement the cheeses.

Those who aren’t on an expense account can have excellent Italian cooking at the less formal Café Spiaggia for about half the price. Locals and visitors alike flock to the Café for great pasta dishes, pizzas, and home-made gelato.

Read about the other Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Chicago here.

Fine Italian cheese Flickr Image: Rubber Slippers In Italy
Italian wine Flickr Image: delphaber

Char-broiled oysters from Drago’s

Italians, many from the island of Sicily, started coming to New Orleans in the 1850s. And over the next twenty years, the city had the largest Italian immigrant population in the country. These immigrants brought Italian cuisine with them. But in New Orleans, where the holy trinity of onions, celery, and bell pepper rules, Italian food was combined with creole techniques and ingredients.

While New Orleans Italian restaurants serve many classical Italian dishes, you’ll also find local shellfish like oysters and shrimp on every menu. The results may not be strictly traditional, but they are delicious.
Here’s our list of the Top 10 Italian Restaurants in New Orleans:

1) Angeli on Decatur

Affordable, laid-back, and open until the wee hours, Angeli is popular with tourists who need something to eat after some serious French Quarter barhopping, and residents who appreciate the value for money. Try the special focaccia stuffed with spinach, pesto, bacon, and mozzarella. With old tile floors, and movies projected onto the walls, it’s a fun, funky place.

2) Bacco

One of the first restaurants to reopen after Katrina, Bacco serves Italian food with a Cajun accent. It’s owned by Ralph Brennan, and Chef Chris Montero uses as many local ingredients as he can find. The menu features lots of seafood, and fish, shrimp, and crab roasted in the wood-burning oven are delicious. The two-course lunch for $15 and the three-course early-bird dinner for $25 are a deal.

3) Cafe Giovanni

A lovely, romantic restaurant with a pretty patio dining room, Café Giovanni showcases chef Duke LoCicero’s Italian-creole cuisine. Expect to find lots of local seafood like oysters which you can order served with five different sauces. Shrimp, crab, and fresh fish might be robed in a mango-lemon sauce. And fried grits cake with shrimp comes with a traditional creole sauce. Don’t be surprised if your waiter breaks into song. And save room for the fabulous chocolate lava cake.

4) Drago’s

For forty years, Drago’s in Metarie has been bathing oysters in butter and garlic and grilling them over charcoal. Locals and in-the-know visitors can’t get enough. So when they opened a second location in the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, they were an instant hit. The food here isn’t exactly Italian, but there’s a nice selection of pastas and veal cutlet with marinara.

5) Eleven 79

Theoretically, it’s possible not to get a great meal here, but really rare. Located in a cute merchant’s cottage that dates from the early 19th century, Eleven 79 serves traditional Italian favorites like Italian sausage and peppers, pasta Bolognese, and ossobuco. But you’ll also find barbecued shrimp and softshell crab.

Jambalaya pasta

6) Irene’s Cuisine

Irene DiPietro has created a wonderful Italian restaurant in the French Quarter. And just about everyone knows it. Expect to wait an hour or so for a table. With lots of old photos on the wall and Chianti bottles aplenty, it looks like it was relocated from New York. It’s the best choice in New Orleans for southern Italian food or a succulent roast chicken redolent of rosemary and garlic. Service is better than at most competitors.

7) Mosca’s

About half an hour from New Orleans in an old clapboard roadhouse in Avondale, Mosca’s doesn’t look like much from the outside. Or inside, for that matter. But no one comes here for the décor – it’s the food that’s been packing them in since 1946. Shrimp and oysters basted in butter, garlic, and herbs and baked in the oven are fantastic, as is the house-made Italian sausage.

8) Pascal’s Manale

Barbecued shrimp is served all over New Orleans, but few places do it better than Pascal’s, which has had since 1913 to perfect the dish. They’re also known for their oysters Bienville and turtle soup. But many of the entrees are Italian classics, including several veal dishes, and pasta with meatballs.

9) Semolina’s Bistro Italia

This restaurant from the owners of Semolina in Metarie serves Italian classics like meatballs and baked mascarpone in marinara that can be hard to find in New Orleans. If you’ve got a yen for chicken parm or lasagna Bolognese, this is the place. But there are also creole-influenced dishes like pasta jambalaya and barbecued chicken pasta.

10) Tommy’s Cuisine

Located in the warehouse district, Tommy’s serves Italian-creole cooking like oysters Tommy with pancetta, Romano cheese, and roasted red pepper, and mussels in marinara. The chef here, Tommy Andrade, was at Irene’s Cuisine and many of the dishes are similar. If you have extra time, stop by the wine bar for a glass of Chianti.

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Char-broiled oysters from Drago’s Image Flickr: jasonlam
Jambalaya pasta Image Flickr: holga_new_orleans

Casa Tua Italian restaurant, Miami

While Miami is known for its Floribbean cuisine, there are plenty of excellent Italian restaurants all over town. Many are located in romantic, old places with lovely patios that evoke an evening on the coast of Italy.

Here’s our list of the Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Miami:

1) Café Abbracci

Another up-market choice for movers and shakers, Café Abbracci in Coral Gables features the cuisine of Lombardy. The dark wood dining room has hosted plenty of celebrities. Grilled seafood, risottos, and pastas like lobster ravioli in rose sauce compete with the house-special grilled veal chop. You’ll be able to find the perfect accompaniment on the wine list. When it’s in season, don’t miss the soft shell crab.

2) Café Prima Pasta

The line usually stretches out the door at this unassuming place where almost everything is made on site. Home-made pastas like crab ravioli or squid ink linguini in lobster sauce, and impeccably fresh seafood are the big draws here. With its old photos, planked floors, soft lighting, and an outdoor patio, this affordable trattoria is low key but romantic. The early-bird special is an excellent deal for those who don’t mind dining before 6PM.

3) Café Ragazzi

Although this café north of Miami Beach in Surfside is no longer family owned, it still has the same chef and wait staff. It’s packed on weekends with local diners craving pasta puttanesca, grilled salmon with radicchio, and the best osso buco in town. Sauteed snapper with lemons and veal scallops are marvels of exquisite simplicity. Service is friendly and informed, and the home-made desserts are delicious too.

4) Casa Tua

When the weather begs for al fresco dining, head for Casa Tua, which is located in a Mediterranean-style villa from the 1920s. Tables on the garden terrace are the most desirable, but the interior dining rooms are also lovely. The menu runs the gamut from a simple pappardelle with lamb ragu to the sophisticated boneless quail in black truffle sauce. A good wine list with lots of Italian selections is the final piece for a memorable, expensive night out.

5) Escopazzo

Opened in 1993 by a husband and wife team who are committed to organic food, this South Beach favorite is still going strong. It’s a good choice for vegetarians with starters like asparagus flan with provola cheese, and a wonderful selection of pastas and risottos. The menu changes with the seasons to ensure that every dish is the best it can be. With a gurgling fountain, the back dining room is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner for two.

6) Osteria del Teatro

This 50-seat South Beach hot spot is located beneath a trendy club on Washington Avenue. The evening’s specials — which might include seafood and vegetables in parchment, scallop and crab ravioli, or salmon in a shitake sauce – are the way to go. Service is as good as it should be at these prices. Save room for one of the delectable home-made desserts.

7) Perricone’s Marketplace & Café

Located in downtown Mary Brickell Village, Perricone’s is convenient to most downtown Miami hotels. It’s also a gourmet market with imported Italian goodies. At lunch time, Perricone’s serves some of the best sandwiches in Miami, including eggplant and meatball parmigiana, and a Sicilan sandwich with the works. At night, there are nearly a dozen salads, as many pasta selections, and grilled steaks, fish, and chicken.

8) Quattro

Excellent Northen Italian cuisine and a stellar, 300-variety wine list draw celebrities and affluent locals to Quattro on trendy Lincoln Road. The chefs here – identical twins from Piemonte – import most of their ingredients from Italy, so the cooking here is very authentic. With huge mirrors, chandeliers, and terrazzo floors, the dining room and bar sleek and stylish. There are also a few tables outside.

9) Romeo’s Café

Romeo Majano not only runs the kitchen here, he also manages to greet most of his guests personally. Since there are only nine tables, it’s not that ambitious a task, but it does mean that reservations are a must. There’s no real menu – Romeo will ask your likes and dislikes and then prepare something to order. The six-course, prix fixe is $75 at dinner, and several of the dishes will be personalized just for you. There’s plenty of excellent wine to pair with Romeo‘s excellent Italian food.

10) Timo’s

A little off the beaten path in a Sunny Isles strip mall, Timo’s is worth the drive or cab ride. Roasted meats, artichokes, and excellent pizzas are pulled from the wood-burning oven bursting with flavor. Timo’s pedigree is top notch. The owners and chef came from Miami favorites Norman’s and Mark’s South Beach. Start with a small plate of grilled quail with roasted garlic, warm mushroom salad, and pinot noir. Then try branzino with basil, asparagus, and lemon confit. The cozy dining room is always packed.

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Casa Tua Italian restaurant, Miami Image Flickr: P Keigan

The joint venture of three noted restaurateurs, Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich, and Nancy Silverton — whose way with bread made her La Brea Bakery the best loved artisanal bakery in the country — Pizzeria Mozza is the casual cousin of the more expensive Osteria Mozza.

On Highland just off Melrose, the restaurant is compact, although high ceilings make it seem larger. It’s usually loud, and you’ll be very close to your neighbors, where you sit at one of the bars or in one of the tables in the main dining room. A smaller room lined with wine bottles is a little quieter.

There are about a dozen seats at the counter in front of the bar. And another twenty or so in front of the exhibition kitchen, where you can see the pizzaiolo sliding the pizzas in and out of the wood-fired oven. And what pizzas they are.

With puffy edges — called cornicione in Italian — the crust looks dense, but it’s actually light as a feather. It also has the requisite char marks on the bottom. All the salumi are made on site, so if you’re a meat eater, indulge in toppings like fennel sausage, speck, guanciale, prosciutto, bacon, or salami. The list of cheeses is equally impressive with pecorino, fontina, taleggio, stracchino, goat cheese, and bufala mozzarella in addition to regular mozzarella.

The pizzas are about 12” in diameter, and are enough for two light eaters. They range in price from $10 to $23.

Bacon, Salami, Sausage, and Guanciale from Pizzeria Mozza

But as good as the pizzas are, it’s the antipasti that are truly exceptional. At $12 per plate, they can add up quickly, particularly when portions are small. The ricotta-stuffed, fried zucchini blossoms are absolutely sensational, but our recent order had three 3” blossoms — not really enough to share. Mozza’s version of a caprese salad is another fantastic dish with burrata cheese, oven-roasted tomatoes, and pesto. Baked meatballs, fried potatoes with rosemary and garlic, grilled asparagus, baked pork ribs, and gratinated cauliflower are other options.

As you’d expect with Nancy Silverton’s participation, the breads here are absolutely world class, and they make it possible to soak up every last vestige of sauce, juice, or oil.

Butterscotch Budino

There’s a different special each day, such as roasted veal breast or softshell crab, which you can also order fried.

Service here is very good. And you can trust their recommendations, especially regarding the wine list. The Centu su Centu Primitivo our waiter recommended was perfect. Many good Italian wines are available by the half or quarter liter. And the wines by partner Joseph Bastianich are a good value.

Come early or late and bring an appetite. Pizzeria Mozza serves some of the most delicious Italian food this side of Naples.

Read about the other Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Southern California here.

Burrata, bacon, and caramelized shallots from Osteria Mozza

Like most things in Southern California, the best Italian restaurants in L.A. are spread all over the place. To try them all, you’d have to go from Pasadena to Santa Monica. But it would be worth the drive. Because for an area with no well-defined Italian presence, Southern California has some fabulous Italian restaurants.

Choosing a winner is a challenge because it’s mostly subjective. Traditionalists vote for Valentino. Those more open to innovation might pick Mozza or Angelini. But wherever you go, you can count on fantastic local ingredients, cool California ambience, and a memorable night out.

Here’s our list of the Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Los Angeles and Southern California:

1) Valentino
The most acclaimed Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, Valentino has been pleasing its fans for more than 35 years. Owner Piero Selvaggio has since opened a Valentino at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas too and a third restaurant in Houston. The Santa Monica original has four romantic dining rooms, a 140,000-bottle wine cellar, and a Michelin star. Three- and four-course menus are a great way to try the chef’s special dishes like lamb prosciutto with ricotta-honey spread or branzino fillet in parchment. For more casual dining, try the Vin Wine Bar.

2) Trattoria Tre Venezia
Hidden on a side street in Old Town Pasadena, Trattoria Tre Venezia showcases Northeastern Italian cooking. Dishes like smoked pork chops with sauerkraut and gorgonzola and marinated venison reveal the influence of neighboring Austria. While halibut with squid-ink ravioli, cuttlefish, and lobster with chestnut tagliatelle are specialties of the Veneto region. Tre Venezia is a cozy spot for a romantic dinner. It boasts one Michelin star.

3) Angelini Osteria
If you love authentic Italian food, Angelini Osteria is one of the best bets in town. Everything prepared by Chef Gino Angelini — who at 23 was the youngest chef at a five-star hotel — is spot on. He’s cooked for many notables, including Luciano Pavarotti, Mikhail Gorbachov, and Pope John Paul II. And his Osteria is an unassuming spot where the food is the star. Try warm tripe with tomatoes and cuttlefish, lasagna verde — made in the style of his grandmother — or whole sea bass.

4) Osteria Mozza
One of the toughest reservations to get in Los Angeles, Osteria Mozza capitalizes on the combined talents of Nancy Silverton of La Brea Bakery fame, Mario Batali, and Joseph Bastianich, the daughter of Lidia Bastianich and a respected winemaker in his own right. These three have created a restaurant that’s on everyone’s list of favorites. There are dozens of authentic Italian dishes that are rarely available on American menus. You can begin your meal with tripe, crispy pigs trotters, or selections from the extensive mozzarella bar. There are nearly 50 dishes available. If you love pasta, the tasting menu will let you try seven for $69.

5) Drago Centro
The Drago family has several Italian restaurants in Southern California, and they’re all noteworthy. But the stylish Drago Centro is hard to beat. Located downtown in the City National Plaza, it’s a sophisticated place with a glass wine cellar — more than 100 kinds are available by the glass. Most of the dishes are updated classics like risotto with veal cheeks and alba mushrooms or Dungeness crab tagiolini. The $75, six-course tasting menu is the way to go. Wine pairings are an additional $40.

6) Pizzeria Mozza
Less expensive but just as popular as Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza lets you enjoy dishes from the same world-class team in a fun, casual atmosphere. Adorned with house-made salumi, artisanal cheese, and organic produce, the wood-fired pizzas are fantastic. But you can make a meal off the fabulous antipasti. Fried squash blossom with ricotta, lentils with goat cheese, and baked bone marrow are unforgettable. Daily specials like crispy duck leg and baked wild sea bass round out the menu. Save room for the butterscotch budino with sea salt and rosemary, pine nut cookies.

Grilled figs wrapped in pancetta from Osteria Mozza

7) Il Pastaio
This Beverly Hills trattoria is another outpost of the Drago family empire. Celestino is the master chef and his brother Giacomo is the executive chef here. The exquisite pastas are all made by hand. And six risottos — try shrimp and ginger or beets and goat cheese — more than a dozen salads, and traditional secondi like osso buco, costata di manzo, and veal scallopine make it tough to choose. Bet you can’t eat just one of their fantastic arancini (fried rice balls).

8) Vincenti
Located in Brentwood, Vincenti features an exhibition kitchen where you can watch chef Nicola Mastronardi create dishes like gnocchi with a ragu of lobster, shrimp, and asparagus or bucatini all’amatriciana with house-made guanciale. The wood-burning oven and rotisserie produces wonderful sea bass, fillet of pork, and quail. The six-course tasting menu is a good value at $70. On Mondays, there’s a nice selection of pizzas too.

9) Il Grano
Chef Salvatore Marino is still at the helm of this West L.A. restaurant which showcases his meticulous attention to detail. He grows more than 40 varieties of tomatoes for the restaurant and selects only perfect seafood at the market for his nightly crudo specials. The five-course business lunches are a steal at $16 and $19. Oven-roasted vegetables are a savory alternative to fish, chicken, or beef. All veggies are locally grown and organically raised. There’s even a five-course vegetarian tasting menu.

10) Campanile
Although not strictly Italian, Campanile’s rustic Mediterranean cuisine owes a debt to France, Italy, and Spain. The space, which was built in the 1920s for Charlie Chaplin, is Southern California chic. Bread from La Brea Bakery sets the tone for the whole meal. Beer-battered squash blossoms, crisp duck breast, and spaghetti with English peas and truffles are Italian enough. The Monday night family dinner is a good buy, and Thursday grilled cheese night offers a delicious Croque Monsieur with ham, Gruyere, wild mushrooms, and Mornay sauce or grilled skirt steak, Gruyere, tomato, arugula, caramelized onion, and spicy mustard.

Find the Top 10 Italian restaurants in California wine country here.

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Burrata, bacon, and caramelized shallots from Osteria Mozza Image Flickr: arnold | inuyaki
Grilled figs wrapped in pancetta from Osteria Mozza Image Flickr: arnold | inuyaki

Bottega

So the opening of his new restaurant, Bottega, in Yountville last year was hotly anticipated. It opened to rave reviews and has continued to garner positive notices — and diners – in what is probably the best food town per capita in the United States.

A little background on Chiarello. He grew up in Central California and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. His first restaurant, Toby’s in Miami, was a hit, and in 1986 he returned to California and opened Tra Vigne.

In 2000, he launched Napa Style, which sells cooking and lifestyle products through catalogs, online and in retail stores. His television series for Good Network, PBS, and Fine Living are watched by millions. And he’s been named Chef of the Year twice.

For his latest venture, he chose a space in Yountville’s V Marketplace and had architect Michael Guthrie redo it – keeping the best of the old wood beams, fir floors, and brick walls, but adding new, Italian-inspired touches.

The highlight is the loungy patio, where diners can enjoy the out of doors on comfy, colorful couch-style seating.

Green Eggs & Ham

The menu is Tuscan, with plenty of California touches. And Chiarello’s commitment to local products, artisanal, and house-made ingredients is evident. Pastas, cured olives, cheeses, and salumi are all overseen by Chiarello who typically spends several hours in the kitchen.

Start your meal with warm Pecorino cheese pudding with wood-roasted rapini, polenta topped with caramelized wild mushrooms, or wood-grilled octopus. The simpler the dish, the more delicious it seems. You’ll likely want to sample everything at your table, so order a few of the stuzzichini or shared bites. And the crudo, or raw seafood appetizers, are best of breed.

There’s a daily risotto and spaghetti with white prawns, taglierini with Manila clams, and pasta with black chanterelles and goat cheese.

Secondi include whole, roasted fish, his signature roasted Dungeness crab, duck confit, braised short ribs, lamb shank, and pork osso buco. Sides include polenta, fingerling potatoes, and truffle-Parmesan frites.

Roast Chicken

Chiarello has introduced a new wine markup policy that makes lots of small-production California and selected Italian wines available.

If you’re in Yountville, once you’ve tried all the Michelin-starred French restaurants, be sure to experience some of the best Italian food in California wine country at Bottega.

Read our list of the Top Ten Wine Country Italian Restaurants here.

Tra Vigne Pizzerria

The Napa and Sonoma Valleys of Northern California are a traveler’s dream with luxurious resorts, beautiful scenery, world-class wineries, and outstanding restaurants. In fact, the little town of Yountville has four restaurants with Michelin stars.

The area is still largely agricultural, so there’s all kind of fresh produce in abundance. And the lifestyle and climate have attracted artisanal cheesemakers, butchers, and more. Eating well is as much a part of wine country life as enjoying great wine.

For years, French food was the main attraction with Thomas Keller’s incredible French Laundry leading the way. But new Italian restaurants, including Bottega, and old favorites like Tra Vigne, make the area heaven for lovers of Italian food.

Here’s our list of the Top 10 Italian Restaurants in California Wine Country:

1) Bottega
Owner/Chef Michael Chiarello has come a long way since his days at Tra Vigne. In the ensuing years, he’s created Napa Style, three cooking and lifestyle TV shows, and several cookbooks. After a decade out of the kitchen, he decided it was time to return, and opened Bottega in 2009. He chose the V Marketplace in Yountville, across from his Napa Style store. It’s a great location, and the pretty patio overlooks the lawn and gardens. The concept is farm-to-table, so dishes center around locally sourced ingredients prepared in a rustic Italian way. Almost everything is made in house, from scratch. Duck, rabbit, lamb, and fresh fish all shine in Chiarello’s capable hands. And desserts are fabulous.

2) Tra Vigne
“In the Vines” has been a St. Helena fixture for years. Michael Chiarello’s original wine country restaurant, it soldiered on without him for a decade, and it’s still one of the most romantic restaurants in Napa Valley. The vine-covered patio is the place to dine on dishes like roasted Dungeness crab, Pappardelle with rabbit ragu, and risotto with duck confit. The wine list features the best local products.

3) Oenotri
Specializing in the cuisine of Campania, Calbria, and Puglia, Oenotri imported their wood-burning Acino oven from Naples to ensure authentic Naples-style pizzas. After a trip to the antipasto bar, try a Margherita, lamb sausage, or summer squash pizza. Or indulge in buccatini all’amatriciana or lamb ravioli with olives. The house-made salumi is outstanding. And desserts include lavender panna cotta and wild strawberry pizzelle.

4) Bistro Don Giovanni
The town of Napa is transforming itself and these days, it’s well worth a visit. Bistro Don Giovanni, which is run by the owners of Scala Bistro in San Francisco, is the best in town for Italian food. Beef carpaccio and beet salad are two of the excellent starters, Pasta dishes include pumpkin ravioli in brown butter, sage sauce and paccheri with duck Bolognese. And the wood-burning oven is used to produce delicious thin-crust pizzas with tasty ingredients like figs and caramelized onions. Tables on the terrace near the fireplace are ideal.

5) Cantinetta Piero
Located in the new Luca Hotel in Yountville, Cantinetta Piero serves Tuscan cuisine in a beautiful dining room with vaulted ceilings and wood beams. Home-made sausage, wood-oven roasted mussels, and grilled local asparagus are wonderful ways to start your meal. And good luck deciding between the pastas, the Neapolitan pizzas, and pan-roasted halibut.

6) Della Santina
Located in the cute town of Sonoma, just off the main square, Della Santina serves the cuisine of Tuscany in an old, stone building. Specialties here include gnocchi della nonna and meats spit-roasted in a rotisserie. Three-course prix fixe dinners are a good value, and the wine list has many good selections for around $35 a bottle.

Burrata Caprese from Bottega

7) Mamma Tanino’s
Executive Chef Gaetano Patrinostro went to culinary school in Bellagio and was working at Villa d’Este while still a teenager. After gigs at world-renowned Valentino’s in Los Angeles and Corporate Chef for Warner Brothers, he landed in Sonoma. The menu features traditional Italian dishes like calamari fritti and linguine vongole.

8) Uva Trattoria & Bar
One of the liveliest places in the Napa Valley, Uva Trattoria has live jazz several nights a week. There are a few specials each night, and half a dozen pizzas, a dozen pasta dishes, and several entrees, such as roasted sea bass. The crispy little arancini rice balls are a good way to start your meal.

9) Pizzeria Tra Vigne
On Main Street around the corner from Tra Vigne, their pizzeria is the best place in wine country for a Neapolitan pizza. Start your meal with some of the yummy garlic rolls, then have a traditional Margherita or Ducati pizza with sausage and mushrooms. Or opt for something more exotic, like the Gardiniere with cauliflower and broccoli, or the Positano with fried lemons and gulf shrimp.

10) Red Grape Pizzeria
About a block from Sonoma Plaza, Red Grape has designer pizzas, a good selection of draught beers, panini sandwiches, affordable wines by the glass or bottle, and good appetizers. Try the clams casino and applewood smoked bacon pizza or the pork, brie, green apple, and caramelized onion panino.

Tra Vigne Pizzerria Image Flickr: star5112
Burrata Caprese from Bottega Image Flickr: armaburrito

Kalalau Lookout

Although Kauai doesn’t have an Italian restaurant on every block, like some cities, it does have several outstanding places where you can enjoy top-notch Italian cuisine and wonderful ambience.

Here’s our list of the Top 10 Italian Restaurants on Kauai:

1) Dondero’s
Located in the Grand Hyatt, Dondero’s is a great spot for a romantic evening or special occasion. The ocean-view setting, top-notch service, and excellent wine list combine to create a memorable, if expensive, evening. Start with a parmesan fondue or sautéed calamari. Then move on to Dungeness crab linguini or pistachio-crusted rack of lamb. Dondero’s is the only four diamond award winner on Kauai.

2) Café Portofino
Overlooking Kalapaki Bay in the Marriott Hotel, Café Portofino specializes in Northern Italian cuisine. You can dine on the deck or inside, where you’ll likely be accompanied by a harpist. Each night, there are antipasto specials in addition to beef and ahi carpaccio. Pastas are sublime, and Tuscan specialties like osso buco and rabbit compete with fish and scampi. Save room for the yummy homemade gelati and sorbets.

3) Casa di Amici
Just a few minutes drive from Poipu Beach, Casa di Amici is a delightful spot – especially if you dine in the garden, surrounded by tropical foliage, ocean views, and twinkling lights. It’s run by chef Randall Yates and his wife, and the couple have created one of Kauai’s most enjoyable restaurants. There are more than a dozen pastas and risottos to choose from – the Fettucini Alfredo is legendary around here. Tiger prawns and duck breast are other highlights. The desserts are amazing.

4) Pomodoro
Pretty much everything at this Kalaheo restaurant run by brothers from Italy is made from scratch, including the pastas, the focaccia, and the mozzarella. Salads are made with organic greens and fresh veggies. The good selection of pastas is complemented by entrees like chicken saltimbocca, veal parmigiana, and scami piccata.

5) Hanapepe Café
Although Hanapepe is technically a vegetarian restaurant, the emphasis is definitely Italian. Lunch is served on weekdays and dinner is served once a week, on Friday night. Since this is when Hanapepe’s popular art walk takes place, the place is always packed, so reservations are a good idea. Their marinara sauce has been acclaimed by critics far and wide. Try the quattro formaggio lasagna or eggplant parmesan.

Pizza

6) Brick Oven Pizza
If you’re hungry on your way back from Waimea Canyon, Brick Oven Pizza in Kalaheo is a good option. And it’s your best bet for pizza no matter where you’re staying on the island. They brush the white or whole wheat crust with garlic butter before cooking the pizzas in their brick oven. There’s a good selection of draught beers and a few pasta dishes and salads. This is a cute place with red checked table cloths and friendly service.

7) Kauai Pasta
Offering generous portions and terrific value for money, Kauai Pasta has very good food. Appetizers include pan-fried calamari and sautéed mozzarella, and pastas are available with marinara, pesto, meat, or Alfredo sauce. Grilled chicken, veal picatta, and a grilled tenderloin satisfy bigger appetites. If you’re staying in a condo, pick up dinner from Kauai Pasta and enjoy it on your lanai. There are two locations – one in Lihue and one in Kapaa.

Hanalei

9) Pizzetta
With locations in Kapaa and Koloa, Pizzetta delivers to most of the South Shore resorts. Appetizers include baby back pork ribs, crab dip, and bruschetta. There are good pastas, fish, and chicken dishes in addition to the pizzas.

10) Casa Bianca
In business since 1955, Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock is one of the best Italian restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area. When the owners moved to Kauai, they decided to open a place in Kapaa. Sauces and sausages are made from scratch daily. And there are 15 pasta selections available. But the most popular items here are the pizzas.

Panini from Coco Pazzo

The Windy City has so many great Italian restaurants that narrowing it down to ten is a challenge.

Virtually every neighborhood has at least one traditional trattoria where you can get a great plate of pasta and a good glass of wine. And these days, most Chicagoland suburbs have one too.

Here’s our list of the Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Chicago:

1) Spiaggia
Right on the Magnificent Mile, Spiaggia isn’t just one of the best Italian restaurants in Chicago, it’s one of the best restaurants, period. It’s the only place rated four stars by both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine. Sophisticated, beautiful, and expensive, it’s the perfect restaurant for travelers on an expense account. Since opening in 1984, it’s consistently wowed critics and patrons alike with dishes like pancetta-wrapped rabbit loin, gnocchi with black truffles, and Alaskan halibut with beans and guanciale. If you can afford it, the 7-course tasting menu is the way to go. It’s $160, or $250 with wine pairings. But the adjoining Café has excellent food and more reasonable prices.

2) Coco Pazzo
Featuring the cuisine of Tuscany, Coco Pazzo has hearty dishes like grilled game, bistecca alla Fiorentina, and pappardelle with rabbit ragu. Many dishes are prepared in the wood-burning oven, and the menu changes seasonally. When truffles are available, they’re used to make an amazing risotto. An antipasto table is laid out with salumi, cheeses, white beans, and other goodies. The all-Italian wine list has been recognized by Wine Spectator.

3) Picolo Sogno
After leaving Coco Pazzo, chef Tony Priolo and sommelier Ciro Longobardo opened this stylish restaurant. The seasonal menu includes appetizers like chickpea flour fries with parmesan and rosemary and wood-grilled calamari, shrimp, and octopus are followed by pappardelle with wild boar ragu or little bags of black truffle and potato. The pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven are also excellent. When the weather’s nice, dine on the beautiful patio.

Snapper from Spiaggia

4) Cibo Matto
Come to this restaurant in the Wit Hotel to sample 2010 James Beard Award Semifinalist Chef Todd Stein’s contemporary Italian cooking. His sublime Bucatini Carbonara is topped with a duck egg, and the squid-ink spaghetti has lumps of crab. Braised short ribs and grilled chicken with oyster mushrooms are outstanding. Begin your evening with a hand-crafted cocktail and end it with peppered plum cake.

5) The Italian Village Restaurants
In business since 1927, the Italian Village has three restaurants in a multi-level space in downtown Chicago. Vivere, the fine-dining venue, has a dramatic, modern look and an ambitious menu. Signature dishes are pappardelle with duck and pheasant-filled agnolotti, and the wine list is one of the best in Chicago. Village, on the second floor serves Italian classics like eggplant Parmigiana and fettuccine Alfredo. It’s a good choice before or after a show. La Cantina, which is a casual trattoria specializing in seafood, is located in the basement.

6) Anteprima
Located in Andersonville, Anteprima is a friendly, neighborhood trattoria with a pretty patio that’s very popular in summer. Start with a plate of salumi, an antipasto salad, or grilled octopus. Then indulge in house-made pasta like tagliatette with a prosciutto ragu or ravioli with ricotta and English peas. Roast suckling pig with pancetta and kale is comfort food at its best, and the home-made desserts are good too. You can order a pitcher of good Italian house wine.

7) Gioco
Located in the South Loop, this loud, lively restaurant offers inventive takes on Italian classics. You can get a terrific Bistecca alla Fiorentina or Beef in Barolo wine. But more adventurous diners can try wood-roasted duck with black current, whitefish with fava beans, or spaghetti with chili-braised octopus. The yummy desserts include cherry and dark chocolate bread pudding and fruit-filled filo dough with Mascarpone ice cream.

Café Spiaggia

9) Rose Angelis
This romantic spot occupies several rooms in the ground floor of an old home in Lincoln Park. Guests can also dine on the pretty patio. Pastas are the stars here and include mezzaluna in a brown butter sauce, tortellone in a walnut cream sauce, and ravioli in a sun-dried tomato, cream sauce. Baked polenta with homemade lamb sausage and spinach is another favorite.

10) Osteria Via Stato
Although you can order off the a la carte menu, getting the Italian Dinner Party is a lot more fun. For $38.95 per person, diners share five appetizers — including yummy veal meatballs — two pasta dishes, a main course of their choosing, and two sides, all served family style. The Just Bring Me Wine option includes three glasses of wine chosen to complement the dishes. The least expensive level is just $15 per person. Bring an appetite because you can ask for seconds of everything but the entrée.

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Panini from Coco Pazzo Image Flickr: iLoveButter
Snapper from Spiaggia Image Flickr: Tammy Green (aka Zesmerelda)
Café Spiaggia Image Flickr: superciliousness

Panna Cotta

Cooking in Tuscany is simpler than in some other parts of Italy. Grilled meats are a specialty, and no trip to Florence is complete without having Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Made from a thick steak cut from the local Chianina cattle, it’s seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil, then grilled over charcoal. It might be the best steak you ever eat.

Chianti also comes from the region, so rabbit, boar, or deer braised in red wine are on most menus. Beans (fagioli) are also popular. They’re often used to make hearty soups and stews. And you’ll find pasta almost everywhere.

Unfortunately, some of the restaurants in the main tourist areas are overpriced and mediocre. So don’t just wander into anyplace that looks appealing. Go to one of the spots here or choose one that has positive, recent reviews.

Here’s our list of the Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Florence:

1) Angels
A favorite of young and beautiful Florentines, Angels is located in a former chapel. It’s a romantic spot with white drapes, coffered ceilings, and stained glass windows. The changing menu features truffles, pheasant, and boar when they’re available. Terrific American-style bar.

2) Antico Ristoro di Cambi
Overlooking the Arno River, this popular trattoria serves great bistecca alla fiorentina, pastas, and tripe. Dine in the 16th-century dining room or outdoors on the piazza. Good wine list.

3) Cantinetta Antinori
Thirty years ago, the Antinoris – one of Tuscany’s most famous wine families – opened a wine bar in their 15th-century palazzo not far from Via Tornabuoni. Many of the ingredients they use to make their delicious Italian food are from the family farm. And of course, the wine is top notch.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

4) Enoteca Pinchiorri
Located in a Renaissance palace in Santa Croce, Enoteca Pinchiorri serves some of the best food in Italy. It has three Michelin stars, and in 2005, it was voted best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine. Chef Annie Feolde combines French and Italian cuisine to create amazing dishes. Beautiful, sublime, and very expensive.

5) Il Cibreo
Since opening Il Cibreo twenty years ago, Fabio Picchi has opened several other places in the Sant’Ambrogio neighborhood. If you’re on an expense account, dine at Il Cibreo. If not, Osteria Il Cibreo is almost as good and about half the price. Desserts, which are made by his son Duccio, are exceptional.

6) Il Latini
In business since 1950, Il Latini is still packing them in. In fact, you’ll likely have to queue for one of the communal tables. Go with the flow and order the day’s menu, which will include a bottomless pour of wine that’s selected to match. It’s a fun, unfussy place with great Tuscan cooking.

7) La Giostra
Run by the twin sons of a Hapsburg Prince, La Giostra features a seasonal menu that changes often. Homemade pasta is inventive and original. Try brie ravioli in a sauce of fried artichokes or anything with white truffle sauce. The dining room is romantic and the Sacher Torte is as good as what you’ll get in Vienna.

8) L’Osteria di Giovanni
Giovanni Latini left the restaurant that bears his family name in the 1990s to open a restaurant outside of Florence. In 2004, he opened this place with his two daughters acting as chef and sommelier. The cooking here is very good and it’s a good value.

9) Osteria de Benci
The menu here changes often, but you can always count on delicious grilled meats and salumi from Falorni, the Chianti butcher shop. Dine on classic Tuscan dishes in the dining room under pretty vaulted ceilings or on the terrace which overlooks a 13th-century tower.

10) Osteria del Caffè Italiano
A charming trattoria on the street level of a Santa Croce palazzo, Osteria del Caffe Italiano serves platters of sliced meats, salumi, cheese, and baked pasta. You can also share small plates of classic Tuscan dishes. The adjoining pizzeria is excellent too.

Find the Top 10 Italian restaurants in Bologna here.

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Bistecca alla Fiorentina Image Flickr: roboppy
Panna Cotta Image Flickr: roboppy