by Kathleen Lynn

Created on: January 16, 2009   Last Updated: January 31, 2010

Authentic Italian food and St Louis go hand in hand. There is an area referred to as the Hill where an Italian food lover can find mom and pop deli's, an Italian bakery, Italian grocers specializing in hard to find ingredients, and Italian restaurants. As far as cannoli is concerned you will not find a better one than you can find in the bakery on the Hill. But what about Italian dining?

Tony's is located in the Hill area and is some of the best Italian to be found in the city. Tony's is also very pricey. While children can go with you, it is not recommended in my experience. The setting is very fancy and tailored more for adults or a nice romantic dinner date. Unless things have changed since I ate here, there isn't even a child's menu.

A personal favorite from several eating experiences at multiple locations would be the Gitto family restaurants. Charlie Gitto has two fine dining Italian restaurants, one in the heart of the Hill and one located inside Harrah's casino. These will offer you authentic Italian food but are very pricey. And again they cater to the couple more than a family. However, Charlie Gitto has a smaller restaurant downtown. Our child was very welcome in the downtown location and the prices were much more budget friendly. The food is outstanding and speaks for itself. Now, I did say Gitto family because there is another restaurant located on the south side of the city called Johnny Gitto's. The food is excellent here as well and moderately priced. Around ten in the evenings on the weekends they do karaoke and stop serving food. They stay open until 3am serving drinks. So a couple on a date may find this appealing as a good time for dinner and drinks and entertainment. Charlie and Johnny are related so it's no surprise that both of their business make the best Italian food in St Louis lists!

Joe Boccardi's Italian restaurant is a small chain spread out in several St Louis locations. They serve fresh, good Italian at family friendly prices. Children are welcome as well as adult only parties. If one is looking for economical Italian food this is a good place to check out. Having dined there a few times, it is worthy of praise. You will find a lot of pasta's and some pizza offerings on this menu.

Giovanni's on the hill is a beautiful restaurant but is one for adults. The food is again pricey here, however, this restaurant has gained a lot of notoriety by serving famous celebrities. It created a special pasta dish specifically for an Oprah Winfrey visit that is still on the menu today. It is one of the most popular offerings. If you happen to eat there order the Pappardelle alla Bella Oprah. It is a signature dish for the restaurant and sure to please.

There are a few chain restaurants in St Louis such as the Pasta House and the Spaghetti Factory. This article preferred to keep the focus on the local, unique cuisine to be found. While the tried and true chain favorites might be average in the food and easy on the wallets, they do not reflect the authentic Italian food to be found in the city. If it's finances you are worried about, go downtown to Charlie's. Believe me when I say there is a vast difference in the quality to be found by the private owned versus the franchises.

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