Best Italian Restaurants

Italian food is a hearty and sometimes healthy selection that is always pleasing to the taste buds no matter where you live or vacation. In most every location in the U.S. alone, there are several Italian restaurants where the hungry can go to sample, but the best Italian restaurants reach another level with dishes of such succulence and incomparability that not even the most finely rated chain restaurant can compare. For a taste of something different, and superior, than the Italian eateries you’re used to, start with:

I Panini Di Ambra Bakery

Though small and quaint, this Italian eatery in Los Angeles, California, ranks as one of the best Italian restaurants in the country because of its ingredients and its warm and friendly service. The specialties at this location are sandwiches, pizza and general Italian food. One of the best dishes on the menu is the Tirolese panini (crafted from brie, speck, and olives). Mix with a salad or try the famous blood orange soda, and you have an Italian experience unlike any you will probably find at your local pizzeria.

Scalini Fedeli

Northern Italian doesn’t get much tastier or authentic than this selection from New York City. Scalini Fedeli is a Tuscan smash of flavor offering tuna Milanese and a hearty portion of peppered rib venison. Scalini Fedeli is a bit more upscale than many of the others of its kind, making it one of the best Italian restaurants not just in the northeast, but the country at large. Expect to pay a bit more than you typically will from an Italian restaurant, though. Each main course dish runs around $60, making it impossible to get out of there for under $100 if you are taking a date. Reserve your table in advance to avoid any long waits.

Volare

Volare in Chicago is considerably more affordable than Scalini Fedeli, and it also offers a great and hearty portion of food at just a $25 average price tag per plate. Volare boasts an open kitchen and a cozy setting where you can enjoy risotto, osso buco, and some of the more traditional selections such as spaghetti and meatballs. You may call in advance to set up a reservation at a particularly busy time, but waits are usually within reason, so you don’t have to worry about standing around for hours on end.

The entire country is filled with quality Italian eateries, but for the best Italian restaurants, it is important that you don’t go to just any establishment. You want to eat somewhere with a history and knowledge of Italy’s fine cuisines. You want someone that elevates Italian food from a hastily made dish into an elegant art form. If you want more information on some of the best Italian restaurants in the country, visit thecottageeatery.com.