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Italian :: Restaurants

Old world tradition, red gravy and, yes, contemporary Italian cuisine too

While chain restaurants attempt to replicate Italian comfort food, South Philadelphia's red gravy emporiums are the real deal — after all, they’ve been doing it for more than a century.

Dig into a plate of lasagna and meatballs at iconic Italian restaurants like Ralph's, Villa di Roma and Dante and Luigi's for a taste of the old country that isn't mass-produced.

For a more modern take on regional Italian fare, try Tre Scalini. It may look mom and pop, but the kitchen consistently delivers a refined menu of specialties, including some of the best homemade gnocchi in town. At Kristian's, a Sinatra soundtrack is paired with inspired contemporary Italian dishes.

And at the intimate and very upscale Vetri, you can experience the daily changing menu of rustic Northern Italian delicacies that has critics calling it one of the best Italian restaurants in the country.

Among the dozens of Italian BYOBs in Center City, buzz-makers include handsome and hip Mercato, for Tuscan salads and mojo short ribs; chic Melograno, with long, worthwhile waits for fig-stuffed quail and beet and mascarpone ravioli; and Radicchio Cafe, for the expertly prepared grilled whole fish of the day.