Photograph by HATSUE
The Queen City is home to a few Italian restaurants that make their bread and butter on staying exactly the same. Here we revisit four of our favorites.
When people say Scotti’s has been there forever, they mean it. It’s been more than 110 years. My father regularly took office guests there to be insulted by Tennerina the waitress, self-proclaimed as “the first Italian woman in Cincinnati with the guts to divorce her husband.” The original interior of the place remains intact, down to the decades-old, wickered Chianti bottles that regularly fall from the ceiling. The food seems very much like Grandma made it, as opposed to a gourmet chef. Occasionally they won’t let you order off the menu and fix something special just for you. (But don’t dare ask.) 919 Vine St., downtown, (513) 721-9484
About 15 years ago, I walked into Pompilio’s (after the owners had gussied up the place) and who was sitting there? Buddy LaRosa and the Mrs. I said, “Buddy, what gives?” He said he only ate at two Italian places in town—his own and Pompilio’s. The place still has the bar that’s been there since 1902 and made famous in the movie Rain Man. And it still serves the original 1933 recipes, like the homemade ravioli. But in my opinion, saving the bread so you can dip it in the remnants of the red sauce with a little cheese shaken on top is well worth the trip. 600 Washington Ave., Newport, (859) 581-3065
The late owner Willie DeLuca could balance anything on his nose, including the tip of the samurai sword he kept behind the bar. His father, Enrico (into his 90s), used to come in every morning to make the sausage. I’d get the Margherita pizza and always had to ask for it well done to get it perfect. Willie and Pops are gone but longtime customer Bronson Trebbi took over the place to carry on the tradition, preserving the family recipes as well as adding a few upscale items. Sorrento’s always was and always will be the neighborhood hangout for a beer and a slice. 5143 Montgomery Rd., Norwood, (513) 531-5070
Pasquale’s was Cincinnati’s first pizza chain. And Lou Roberto, one of the founders, also opened the first franchise location on Monmouth Street in 1958. It’s still there and still run by the family, four generations later. The hoagies are legendary, and for most aging Cincinnatians, it’s likely the first pizza they ever tasted. But my strongest memory from years ago is Pasquale’s meatballs nestled in spaghetti and drowning in that sauce. Like any good Italian joint, it comes down to how long you simmer the red sauce. This one is still made from the family recipe. 630 Monmouth St., Newport, (859) 291-1443
Facebook Comments