The first thing I ever learned to cook was spaghetti, and now so many years later not only are my favorite ethnic foods Italian, but I still love cooking it. Of course now it’s a bit more sophisticated with fresh herbs and robust vegetables bursting with color, but the feeling is the same. Italian food is rich in family, home, and hearth. Atlanta isn’t the hub of Italian food, but it does have some quite good Italian restaurants to whet your palate.
Abruzzi
2355 Peachtree Road
Peachtree Battle Shopping Center
404-261-8186
Hours:
Lunch – Monday thru Friday 11:30 am – 2 pm
Dinner – Monday thru Thursday 5:30 pm – 10 pm
Friday thru Saturday 5:30 pm – 11 pm
Sunday Closed
Specialties: sweetbreads, papparadelle, lemon sole, veal dishes
Abruzzi is a restaurant that has semi-formal dress attire where you can go tie-free but you will need a dinner jacket to eat there. Entrees range from $15-$27 and they do take major credit cards. They have a wide ranging wine selection, some are fairly expensive. Their recipes have been used in Delta’s first class sections. They have also won the DiRoNA Award in 1996. It is a great authentic place to eat with the owner being from Abruzzi, Italy.
Amerigo
2964 Peachtree Road
404-237-2964
Hours:
Lunch/Dinner – Sunday thru Thursday 11:30 am – 10 pm
Friday thru Saturday 11:30 am – 11pm
Specialties: Wood fired pizza, myriad pasta, house smoked chicken
Amerigo is a restaurant that has casual dress attire. Entrees range from $7-$19 and they do take major credit cards. They have half portions, which are still good sized, for those with a budget and smaller stomachs. They have an extensive wine selection with a good portion available by the glass. They have a good contemporary styling and an outdoor patio.
Fratelli di Napoli
2101-B Tula Street
404-351-9917
Hours:
Dinner – Monday thru Thursday 5 pm – 11 pm
Friday and Saturday 5 pm – midnight
Sunday 4 pm – 10 pm
Specialties: pasta, snapper in basil sauce, chicken Marsala
Fratelli di Napoli is a restaurant with casual dress attire. Entrees range from $10-$16 and they do accept major credit cards. They have a family style service, where one entree can feed 2-4 people, so remember this when you order or you will take home many leftovers! They have a good stock of California and Italian wines, with over 50 by the glass. It is a nice, high energy place for dinner.
La Grotta Ristorante
2637 Peachtree Road
404-231-1368
and
4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Ravinia Crowne Plaza Hotel
770-395-9925
Hours:
Lunch – At Ravinia, Monday thru Friday 11:30 am – 2 pm
No lunch at Buckhead location
Dinner – At Ravinia, Monday thru Saturday 6pm – 10:30 pm
At Buckhead, Monday thru Saturday 5:45 pm – 10pm
Closed Saturday
Specialties: Veal, pasta, seafood, tiramisu
La Grotta is a restaurant with smart casual dress attire at Ravinia, and a jacket required dress attire at Buckhead. Entrees range from $16-$25 and they will take major credit cards. They have an extensive wine collection. They have been voted Atlanta magazine’s Best of Atlanta from 1984-1996 and AAA Four Diamond Award from 1994-1996.
Pricci
500 Pharr Road NW
404-237-2941
Hours:
Lunch – Monday thru Friday 11 am – 5 pm
Dinner – Monday thru Thursday 5pm – 11pm
Friday and Saturday 5 pm – midnight
Sunday 5pm – 10pm
Specialties: risotto specials, seafood, veal agnolotti
Pricci is a restaurant with dressy casual dress attire. Their entrees range from $12-$25 and they do take major credit cards. They have an extensive Italian wine selection with some moderate California wines. They have been voted Esquire’s Best New Restaurant in 1992.
