Dante & Luigi's

 

3

84

Rich n Nancy C.

San Juan Capistrano, CA

This is the real deal when it comes to Italian food -- simply the best and not to be missed on your next trip to Philly.  

Very traditional, yet tasty Italian fare -- try the Manicotti or the Ziti & Sausage.

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Elite '08

30

51

Paige W.

Philadelphia, PA

Dante & Luigis has been a family staple of mine for years. My husband even first met my parents here, possibly to see if he passed the "good eater" test. The food is all delicious and better than some of the food I've had in Rome and Venice. The service is wonderful as well. The fifth star is really just removed for the salads, which come with no dressing but oil and vinegar. Lettuce, tomato, and balsamic vinegar is something I can do better at home, and not worth filling up on when we have ciopinnos and lasagnas ahead. Otherwise, a sure thing.

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Elite '08

17

47

stacey b.

Cheltenham, PA

First of all, are there any bad Italian restaurants in south philly? Hardly. What may send Dante & Luigi's above everyone else? Please keep reading...

They took a reservation for 5 last minute on FATHER'S DAY without issue. None of us had ever been there, we just heard it was delicious and... well it was Father's Day and we didn't have a reservation anywhere else.

Walking in is like walking into your Italian Grandma's house on any given sunday. It smells delicious! If you happen not to have an Italian Granny, my friend Lou will tell you all about his and compare both the decor of Dante & Luigi's and the food to his Grandma's.

It's a tight little place that is so home-y and comforting. The decor is a little bit weird and tacky but it adds to the charm and feel of being at a relative's house.

We ordered appetizers to share... the eggplant parm and caprese salad. In this day and age of a tomato scare, it was nice to be given fresh large tomatoes and to be given our own rights to contract salmonella or not. I'm joking. I had been craving beefsteak tomatoes and the caprese salad was just what I needed. The mozzarella tasted fresh and the eggplant parm was thin, fried and even the kids ate it, thinking it was pizza. They would never eat eggplant otherwise.

I had the pork chop for dinner. I tend to order pork chops when I can at Italian places because I'm really not hip on italian food. I say this so much, I feel bad for being at Italian restaurants all the time. I get dragged to them okay? But the pork chop was huge, bone-in and fried to perfection without being dry and served with a side of steamed veggies.

I only finished half of it because I was full but I stole tastes of chicken parmigana and some pasta just to taste the sauce (oh. sorry. GRAVY) at Dante & Luigi's. It was slightly spicy and definately different so I liked it very much. The pasta was al dente which made me happy too because not enough places have the testicular fortitude to serve pasta al dente style. Some people don't like limp pasta, okay?

For dessert I had the "La Bomba" which is basically a tartufo and they sprinkled the plate with mini chocolate chips - yum!

The service was great, our waiter was patient and fabulous. We loved the food and the atmosphere and it was text-about-it-to-leash worthy so I will give it 5 stars and try to get back there again soon to try something new!

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7

12

Vivian R.

Alexandria, VA

I don't know if it was the food, the 20's jazz playing through their speakers, our waitress, or being in my old stompin' grounds again, but something about this place put me right at ease the second I walked in the door.   Like my City of Brotherly Love, the food at Dante and Luigi's was very straightforward and didn't try to be something it wasn't - what you saw was what you got, and therein I found the connection between American Italian and Italian Italian food.  Yes, there is a difference.

We were able to make a reservation for the two of us (yes, Hubby and I got a date night while Grandpa took care of Baby!) for 8:00 Saturday night.  Granted, it was Memorial Day weekend, but the place was still packed.  In the heart of South Philly - I made sure Hubby didn't don something that screamed "I'm a DC sports fan" that would land him in the bottom of the Schuylkill with a couple of lead boots.

We started with the sauted calamari, served with sauted tomato slices and escarole.   Fresh tomatoes may have been a better contrast against the smoky squid and the olive-oil-laden escarole, and the squid was just a touch over-done.

Entrees, Hubby enjoyed enjoyed their veal special with crabcake and provolone on top, and I ordered the rigatoni carbonara.  His had a heavy-sounding name, but boy, the flavor of the combination was amazing.  The sauce tasted sweet of a liquor reduction of the pan drippings - I was sopping it up with the bread they gave us.  My rigatoni, the sauce was really wonderfully creamy, different from the dryer variety found in Italy.  They used bacon instead of pancetta - this was a little detail that left me wondering, as the Italian market is but 2 blocks from the joint, but the flavor of the dish was still wonderful.

I dove into their Ricotta Cheesecake for dessert, and Hubby had the Italian Cream Cake with Rum.  The ricotta cheesecake lifted my heavy stomach - it was the lightest cheesecake I have ever had.  Hubby tried to deflect my eyes of intrigue, but in the end, in the interest of self-preservation, he caved, and I got to have some of his cake too.

Dante and Luigi's was quintessential Philadelphia - true, solid flavors, no masking, no frou, no pretense.  This meal opened up a whole discussion between Hubby and me, of the types of food we grew up with, him in DC, me in Philly.  We've come to realize with this meal that I've only started opening up his palate with Philly food, and that he is ready for more.

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Elite '08

13

22

Andrew T.

Philadelphia, PA

Some of the best authentic Italian-American restaurants can be "hole in the walls". Dante & Luigi's is NOT a hole in the wall, though it does have bullet holes in the wall from a Mafia hit back in 1989. Italian restaurants can't get more authentic than that.

Caitlin mentioned the gnocchi already. I love this restaurant so much. It's the first restaurant my father took me too when I had just moved down to Philadelphia. It will always have a special place in my heart.

I've never had a bad experience at any Italian restaurant in South Philly. But Dante and Luigi's stands out. The food is made with such love and passion, the atmosphere is luxurious. The asthetics are comfortable, and the pastels give a light and airy feeling to one dining room while the masculine oak dining room feels a bit more formal.

Supposedly this is the oldest Italian restaurant in America. Whether it is or isn't, I could care less. The truth is that it's got an old-world charm and food that makes you want to check the kitchen for a staff of little old Sicilian grandmothers wearing all black.

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1

16

Anne A.

San Francisco, CA

If you're looking for a delicious and authentic Italian meal and for the full experience, this is it! recommended to us by an italian friend who used to live in philly. the food is fantastic. the ambiance was great. great service. great wine. though make sure you go to the atm first - i think they only take cash. we'd definitely go back!

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61

387

Caitlin C.

PA

Walking by this restaurant in Bella Vista, you'd think you were in Rome. Outside are, in traditional Italian style, stone statues. And most night you will see various diners outside smoking and laughing.

Inside, this place is a mansion. There are three separate dining rooms and two bars, from what I remember. The staff is so friendly, and most are related. This place hardly gets any recognition from Philadelphian's (despite Zagat's 5-star rating) and is underrated.

I recommend the gnocci, which, although it sounds simple, is amazing. If you fall in love with their vodka sauce, you can even order more online.

One tip: if you are reserving a table for a special occasion, request to not be sat in the converted-garage room on the right; it's less cozy.

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