Charlie Gitto Jr. may have expanded the Gitto family restaurant business into three locations, but it’s the original Italian eatery in The Hill neighborhood that remains the spicy heart and soul of the enterprise.

An authentic taste of old Italy is a staple ingredient of the Charlie Gitto legacy: pastas, breads and desserts that are made in-house and cooked to order; fresh ingredients that are either raised on the premises, brought in frequently or seasonal in the Midwest; and care and attention lavished on every dish.

The Inns at St. Albans is that rare little getaway city-dwellers can discover practically in their own backyards, the type that offers respite in a setting that might as well be half a world away. It’s a scenic spot for a bunk and a bite, so to speak, though it’s the eats that are keeping Chef D. Scott Phillips on the map.

Parigi is how Italians say Paris. The name of serial restaurateur Ben Poremba’s latest fine-dining establishment in Clayton is fitting because its menu reflects how the French might interpret Italian food. The offerings fuse Executive Chef Ramon Cuffie’s affinity for Italian cuisine with his mastery of French technique. The menu not only reflects his travels to those regions, but also his desire to use his experiences and skills to give beloved recipes fresh personality.

Fried chicken—the omnipresent American bird of choice—may well be the most difficult simple food to prepare. Many a restaurateur has tried and failed, but it’s Chef Rick Lewis whose Southern chicken restaurant is causing the latest flap. 

Wine may not spring to mind when the menu features such dishes as fried green tomatoes, flaky Southern biscuits and a mouth-watering version of Southern fried chicken, with mashed potatoes, pan gravy and collard greens. Still, the many flavors in each dish, not to mention the acidic, savory, salty and buttery notes that one tastes with each bite, are actually quite compatible with a number of wines from around the world.