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Willie Myers

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best "family" Italian in town?

by Willie Myers » Tue Apr 05, 2022 6:18 am

best "family" Italian in town?

you know...

not "Olive Garden", any other chain or *any* pizza places....
not the "big V's" ("Volare", "Vincenzo", "Varanese"), or any other white-linen...

but just great family Italian cooking...the kind of stuff you'd find on sunny afternoon at a Tuscan table, with multiple pitchers of a Chianti & plenty of bread?

do we have such a place?

((oops, maybe I should have asked, "best "family" Italian in town? - - open on a Monday?))
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Steve Eslinger

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Steve Eslinger » Tue Apr 05, 2022 7:29 am

How about DiFabio’s Casapela, Ciao or Silvio’s?
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JustinHammond

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by JustinHammond » Tue Apr 05, 2022 7:32 am

Is the Come Back Inn still open?

http://www.comebackinn.net/

Closed on Monday.

I've heard good things about https://www.tuscanyitalianky.net/
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Robin F.

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Robin F. » Tue Apr 05, 2022 8:57 am

Also, Milantoni on Hursbourne fits the bill.
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MarieP

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by MarieP » Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:35 am

Willie Myers wrote:best "family" Italian in town? - - open on a Monday?))


Thanks for starting this thread! I was just wondering the same!

Milano (I’ve just been to the Mt. Washington location) is always delicious- I actually just ate there Saturday. I love their breadsticks and marinara! They have an excellent lunch deal, and their dinner menu offers a great variety of dishes.

Silvio’s is another go-to. Their eggplant Parmesan is my favorite! And their marinara is probably the best in town! I think they’re on the pricier end of “family” but it’s still a great spot that’s certainly worth mentioning twice.

Milantoni is another place that (at least based on a few years ago) is good and reasonably priced. They have a large selection of pastas, and their bread is good and warm. Their marinara is also quite flavorful, and their menu offers a wide variety. I heard it may have gone downhill (then again, what restaurant didn’t suffer in the pandemic?)— I’m very willing to try it again!
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Andrew Mellman

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Andrew Mellman » Tue Apr 05, 2022 12:38 pm

More votes for Milano's, Ciao, and Come Back Inn!

(Haven't been to Silvio's yet . . .)
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Michele Janosek

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Michele Janosek » Tue Apr 05, 2022 12:55 pm

DiFabio's and Ciao are our go-to Italian restaurants for sure!!! Silvio's and Milano are also solid choices.
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Robin Garr

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Robin Garr » Tue Apr 05, 2022 3:03 pm

How about Silvio's? It's definitely what I would consider family Italian. I like DiFabio's a lot too, but the last time I went I felt that its pricing was getting up there into fancy Italian territory. Someone correct me if I'm wrong! Ciao has been mentioned, and I like it a lot (asterisk: Haven't been since the pandemic), but I don't think of it as quite family Italian. Maybe more out in the middle of the Atlantic halfway from the US to Italy? :lol:
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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Nathaniel C » Tue Apr 05, 2022 7:06 pm

I got carry out from Silvio's tonight--my first time trying the place. It doesn't merit a separate thread just to say I felt like it was mediocre. The rice ball was good, and came with a generous amount of marinara sauce. The chicken parm was also good. The ingredients were high quality, I just felt it lacked a distinctive flavor. I busted out the crushed red pepper flakes tonight. May try some onion powder and garlic powder on the leftovers tomorrow. The hostess and the server who brought me the to-go bag were nice.

I'm a big fan of the "big Vs" for Italian food here in Louisville, although it's been a long time since I visited Vincenzo's, and I've never been to Varanese, but have heard rave reviews.
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JustinHammond

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by JustinHammond » Wed Apr 06, 2022 7:35 am

Varanese is not a spot for Italian. I didn't want someone showing up there and being shocked by the menu.
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Andrew Mellman

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Andrew Mellman » Wed Apr 06, 2022 11:27 am

Nathaniel C wrote:I'm a big fan of the "big Vs" for Italian food here in Louisville, although it's been a long time since I visited Vincenzo's, and I've never been to Varanese, but have heard rave reviews.



Did you mean Volare? Varanese has some Italian dishes, but Volare is (IMHO) the top Italian table in the city!
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Mike L

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Mike L » Wed Apr 06, 2022 7:41 pm

Comeback Inn is my favorite. They serve those huge pasta dishes - Their Chicken Alfredo could serve two. Also they have really good pizza. I also love Ciao, and Defabio's. Like Robin said, I think Defabio's is a little on the expensive side for a family meal. Also it's pretty small. I wouldn't think of going there without a reservation.

I've heard good things about Bella Roma but have never been there, it's in New Albany so may be out of range.
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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Mark R. » Wed Apr 06, 2022 8:37 pm

Andrew Mellman wrote:
Nathaniel C wrote:I'm a big fan of the "big Vs" for Italian food here in Louisville, although it's been a long time since I visited Vincenzo's, and I've never been to Varanese, but have heard rave reviews.



Did you mean Volare? Varanese has some Italian dishes, but Volare is (IMHO) the top Italian table in the city!

That Would Certainly Be Hard to Argue with!
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Nathaniel C

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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Nathaniel C » Thu Apr 07, 2022 11:17 pm

Andrew Mellman wrote:
Nathaniel C wrote:I'm a big fan of the "big Vs" for Italian food here in Louisville, although it's been a long time since I visited Vincenzo's, and I've never been to Varanese, but have heard rave reviews.



Did you mean Volare? Varanese has some Italian dishes, but Volare is (IMHO) the top Italian table in the city!

Sorry for the confusion… Yes, I love Volare, and Vincenzo’s is also a solid choice based on my old experience. The OP mentioned Varanese, which I haven’t patronized, but have heard good things about, although I now gather that it’s not a traditional Italian establishment.
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Re: best "family" Italian in town?

by Mark R. » Fri Apr 08, 2022 4:05 pm

Nathaniel C wrote:Vincenzo’s is also a solid choice based on my old experience.

At least in our opinion Vincenzo's may have been good at one time but nowadays it's far from near the top of the list! Their food is mediocre at best, the pricing is way too high for what it is and the decor is very downtrodden. You can tell they are hurting for business just because they continuously have great discounts on Groupon! That alone demonstrates that their menu prices are extremely inflated.
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