Photo courtesy of Luna Italian Cuisine
The Scotto family’s roots run deep in Harrisburg’s restaurant scene.
The patriarch, Giovanni, has owned several area Italian restaurants, including Tuscano in Swatara Township, Two Brothers Pizza in Strawberry Square and Papa Joe’s on Tecport Drive, according to his daughter, Rossella.
Then, in 2023, the family, which hails from Naples, Italy, opened Luna Italian Cuisine in Mechanicsburg’s Legacy Park. They figured a restaurant in a high-traffic area was almost a no-brainer.
“We saw the apartments going up and little shops opening and decided that it was a great location for people to walk to,” Rossella said.
Earlier this year, those roots dug even deeper. The family took over Visaggio’s Ristorante, a west shore favorite that had been in business on Wertzville Road for over four decades.
When the long-time owners retired, the Scotto family decided it was time to expand their business and wrap Visaggio’s into their portfolio of restaurants.
“We kept the name out of respect for the family,” Rossella said.
The new restaurant not only offered another location, but much more room for catering and events.
“We had to turn down the larger parties due to lack of space, so when we heard that Visaggio’s was available, we purchased it and opened it up under Luna Management,” Rossella said. “There’s a big ballroom in the rear, and it is currently fully booked for Christmas parties.”
On the Menu
Head Chef Antonio Coppola, also from Naples, heads up the kitchen, executing the creations customers enjoy today, such as the “Amalfi Coast,” a dish comprised of shrimp, scallops and broccoli served over linguini with a limoncello sauce.
The reunion between the Scottos and Chef Tony was a serendipitous one.
“Chef Tony created some of his dishes in Italy, before coming to the United States and working in kitchens in North Carolina and Florida,” Rossella said. “They were close friends as teenagers back in Italy, and they found each other years later in Pennsylvania.”
The house signature dish, “Ragu Napolitano,” is a guest favorite, crafted with veal, sausage, ground beef and filet mignon slow simmered in a rich red sauce, served on pappardelle pasta and topped with fresh mozzarella.
Dollie Neuhart and her husband Ed are regulars at Luna and said that there’s little on the menu that they don’t enjoy.
“We live close by and have tried a variety of dishes,” Dollie said. “Their meat sauce is wonderful and so are the limoncello martinis.”
Rossella added that people love the limoncello, a Neapolitan specialty, created in house and the cocktail options, which rotate seasonally.
The Neuharts approve wholeheartedly of the expansion.
“We thought that taking over Visaggio’s was a great idea,” Dollie said. “Sunday brunch is lovely, with a wide variety of dishes.”
Those dishes include “Eggs in Purgatory,” a rustic Italian comfort dish comprised of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, which is her husband’s favorite.
Chris Moulton of Mechanicsburg recently brought his business group, “Around the Wagon Wheel,” to Luna. He said the entire party had an enjoyable time and praised the service and his choice of “Pappardelle alla Bolognese.”
The Scotto family is already looking ahead to their next expansion. They plan to open at Susquehanna Union Green, a mixed-use development in Susquehanna Township at the corner of Progress Avenue and Linglestown Road.
“We’re slated to open the beginning of the new year, if all goes well,” Rossella said.
They’ll be filling a niche in that market, she added.
“The Linglestown area lacks an Italian fine-dining restaurant and, this way, we’ll be on both shores,” she said. “So, we’re really looking forward to that.”
Luna Italian Cuisine is located at 100 Legacy Park Dr., #102, Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit www.lunaitalian.com.
Visaggio’s Ristorante is located at 6990 Wertzville Rd., Enola. For more information, visit www.visaggiosristorante.com.
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Dining and Cooking