Italian food may not be on every corner in Indianapolis , but near cookin ’ is not hard to line up . Each has its own style and menu : some are sleep with for their cheat day - worthy alimentary paste , while others lure you in with their romantic atmosphere before filling your stomach to the limit with traditional dishes . Indy ’s good are indisputable to fulfill your date , your friend , and the little Italian grandma from the Old Country that you wish you had .
Iozzo’s
See those hypertrophied photograph of burly Italian men on the walls ? Those Iozzo guy rope have a racy , almost folklore - similar story , which the Iozzo kinfolk is happy to partake once you settle in . Their great granddaddy Santora “ Fred ” Iozzo amount to America in the 1910s with a vision , settle in Indy , and started a minor grocery empire that grew into a restaurant in the 1920s . With the help of his two Son , Fred ’s business was so successful that it could withstand more than 850 people in multiple feast halls . But then drama ensued , with gunfire : Al Capone got ask ( you ’ll have to hear it from the Iozzos ) , and the eating place close in 1940 . Keeping to the family custom , Fred ’s grand- and swell - grandkids re - opened the restaurant in 2009 , animate those recipe at a new localisation with a quixotic , secluded garden in the back . renowned for its meatball martini , barrel - age Manhattans ( nanna ’s recipe ) , pesto scallops , and goat cheese appetiser , pork osso buco , Iozzo ’s above all has maybe the best ancestry story in townspeople .
Vito Provolone’s
The account of this family - pass join is in the garlic bread , which has made people salivate since Vito Provolone ’s open up as Pasquale ’s Pizza in 1974 . The garlic bread recipe stayed the same after a 1992 name change , but the computer menu has been ramp up out to include home cooked classic such as Vito ’s zesty vodka sauce and the rich alfredo sauce you ’ve ever tasted . Vito ’s bright green sign is a nod toThe Godfatherfilms , so you love they ’re gon na make you a pizza pie you ca n’t refuse .
Napolese
While Italy may be a plane ride away , the locally sourced ingredients at Napolese are something right out of Tuscany . All three Napolese locations make our list for their forward-looking take on Italian nutrient , with an old - school flair . you could require stone hearth - baked pizza pie , smartly inspired salads that deepen every calendar month , and appetizers that highlight local farmers . The Italian - dense wine-colored and local beer tilt is not to be overlook . What else would you expect from a join possess by Martha Hoover , the founder of the successful , brunchyPatachou eating place mark ?
Osteria Pronto
Osteria Pronto opened with the JW Marriott for the Super Bowl in 2011 and stay a fan favourite . While the name mean “ tavern ready , ” the Italian dash felt at Osteria Pronto is much more modern and focused on process , like a trendy Milan eatery . The gnocchi is hand - roll by sous chef Angelo every day , while the Bolognese with fresh basil and shaved ricotta is dewy-eyed but sodding . But heedful of that smart scarf or silk tie , and get your serviette ready , because the food isestremamente buono .
Sangiovese Ristorante
Named after the wine-coloured varietal that translates as “ bloodline of Jove , ” ( Jove being " God of the Sky " ) , Sangiovese brings that same romantic and historic robustness to the dining experience . Dark and snug with sultry light , Sangiovese is a glass spill over with date night . Be sure to try the veal scallopine piccata or the penne alla Emiliana , served with sautéed Italian sausage balloon , prosciutto , and caramelized reddish onions in a Lycopersicon esculentum and butter sauce . Having to begin with open in 1994 , Sangiovese changed possession in 2007 and is supposedly a staple eating house for several Pacers basketball caption .
Iaria’s Italian Restaurant
When you ’ve been around since 1933 , you recognize you ’re doing something correct . mob - have Iaria ’s is most famous for its fresh and sweet Lycopersicon esculentum sauce , homemade stunner , and homey interior decoration – its black - and - white fellowship picture on the walls , plush vinyl radical red booths , and neon lights are a atavist to another time . fixture typically range the same thing every time they swing in , so we ’ll plead the 5th on which dish aerial is best here . Be prepared for a hold , because this place catch poppin ’ fast .
Mama Carolla’s Old Italian
Mama knows best , and know a destiny about Italian cookery . in the first place from the Italian pocket of Omaha , NE , Mama ( and Papa ) opened Mama Carrolla ’s in a niggling house that they turn into a restaurant – which is still family - owned and -run . The Misto Mare – linguine mix with shrimp , scallops , clam , squid , and crab center sautéed with veggies – is a favourite , but all the classic dishes are contenders . relish your favorite sweetheart on Mama ’s bully outdoor patio , gross with twinkly lit trees , fountains , and Roman statue .
Amalfi
We might be somewhat landlocked here in Indy , but at Amalfi you may feel like you ’re on a part of Italy ’s most iconic coast . Founded and owned by Italian - born American dreamers the DiRosa family , and tuck away off the main strip , Amalfi is ardent , informal , intimate , and authentic to back home . Amalfi is so family - focused that original household members are often fix up the Italian specialties . Some say the eggplant Parmagiana is the good in the city , others turn over that it ’s the lasagna , and then there ’s the gnocchi that is raved about as well . The Amalfi Coast is nice , but an even at Amalfi is equally deserving the stumble .
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Pizza from Osteria Pronto|Courtesy of Osteria Pronto (edited)
Napolese
Sangiovese Ristorante
Iaria’s Italian Restuarant
Mama Carollas Old Italian Restaurant Indianapolis
