Americans have a thing for Italian food; and really, what's not to love? Pasta and pizza, meatballs and lasagna, Italian food are like a big, warm hug (from your Italian nonna, of course). But let's be honest: the Italian fare you'll find at most restaurants is, at best, a pale imitation of the real deal. Traditional Italian food is not smothered in sauces, mountains of cheese, and served with never-ending breadsticks. It's nuanced and veg-forward; fresh and light; balanced and best served with a glass of red. Which is precisely what you'll find at Pompilio's in Kentucky.
Located in the historic Ohio River town of Newport, Pompilio's opened its doors in 1933.
The building actually dates back to 1902, when it housed a small saloon.
In fact, this site was the location of a big raid during Prohibition!
A hit from the very beginning, during the 1940s, stage performers and famous celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe -- who were performing at local clubs -- all dined at Pompilio’s.
And if the inside of this Italian restaurant seems familiar, that's because it was the location of an iconic film scene.
The 1987 Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman movie Rainman was filmed primarily in Cincinnati, with one of its pivotal scenes shot at Pompilio's.
During this scene, Hoffman and Cruise sat at a table in the dining room, just past the bar. Their waitress (Bonnie Hunt) approaches the table and Hoffman's character recognizes her name from the phone book that he's memorized. He then tells Cruise that he wants pancakes and he has to eat them with a toothpick.
It's a famous moment, and the warm, familial feel of Pompilio's really does make the scene.
As a family-owned restaurant, the Pompilio family operated it until 1982, when it was bought by another Italian family who kept the name, simply changing it from Pompilio's Café to Pompilio's Restaurant.
The new owners continued to serve the same pastas and sauces that the Pompilios had perfected, adding some new dishes, like Italian sausage, lasagna, cannelloni, and manicotti.
When you dine at Pompilio's, you'll be struck by how fresh and flavorful everything is.
The chicken parmigiana is light and herbaceous, paired with linguine and two of the restaurant's signature sauces.
Fresh eggplant is lightly marinated and baked for the eponymous dish, which, contrary to what you've likely had at Italian chain restaurants, is light, fresh, and very veg-forward.
And if you just simply can't decide what to order, try the Original Sampler, which comes with lasagna, meat and cheese ravioli, eggplant, homemade Italian sausage and one of Pompilio's famous meatballs. It's a true taste of Italy!
Of course, no Italian meal would be complete without something sweet, and the cannoli here is the best you'll ever have.
But if you prefer, Pompilio's Bomboloni, an apple ricotta filled Italian donut, is perfection with an after-dinner cup of coffee.
Forget everything you thought you knew about Italian food. Then go to Pompilio's in Kentucky for a lesson in authentic Italian cuisine.
Pompilio's really is a dining must in Kentucky; a historic treasure dishing up the most authentic Italian cuisine in The Bluegrass State. Learn more, and order their famous sauces, on their website.
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