An Over-the-Rhine Italian restaurant is in the national spotlight after it landed on a highly anticipated annual list from Yelp.
Yelp recently released its 13th-annual Top U.S. Restaurants roundup, featuring the highest-reviewed restaurants, diners, fast-casual spots and food halls of the year. This year, Pepp & Dolores, owned by brothers Joe and John Lanni’s Thunderdome Restaurant Group, took the No. 10 spot on the list, which was defined by trends like Japanese dining, Gen Z-approved dress-up destinations and “grandma-core” dining,” which includes Pepp & Dolores.
“‘Often called ‘nonna-stalgia,’ this cozy trend encourages diners to step out of their fast-paced lives for old-fashioned, slow-cooked family recipes made with simple ingredients — often served on charmingly mismatched dinnerware in warm settings that remind them of simpler times. You’ll find this trend at Cincinnati’s Pepp & Dolores,” writes Yelp.
The Lanni brothers opened Pepp & Dolores, named after their Italian-Canadian grandparents, on Vine Street in 2019, with an Italian menu inspired by the brothers’ nonna’s recipes. Dishes feature components like a traditional, slow-simmered, tomato-based “Sunday sauce,” served over spaghetti with a veal and pork meatball and braised pork shoulder, and handmade pastas for popular dishes like the Spicy Vodka Pasta and the Limone Pasta.
Yelp also praises Pepp & Dolores’ warm hospitality, also inspired by the Lanni brothers’ grandmother.
“That comfort and homey feeling is a top priority for the brothers, who pay attention to diners’ favorites, take their requests seriously (dessert was recently added to the menu after several customer asks), and make everyone feel welcome,” said Yelp.
That dessert, by the way, features two flavors of soft-serve gelato, hazelnut-chocolate and vanilla mascarpone, which can be dressed up with toppings like olive oil, sea salt, crushed pistachios or crushed Amaretti cookies.
So, what do Yelpers have to say about Pepp & Dolores? Here’s a review Yelp highlighted:
“Stunning, gorgeous, delicious! My first time in the great state of Ohio, and the food here really sealed the deal for me. So many vegetarian options, lovely ambiance, incredibly friendly staff, and obviously amazing food! I got the Dunk (bread app) and the Pomodoro Pasta. No notes — I need to come back and eat both again, and then inhale everything else on the menu!” – Paayal J.
Coincidentally, CityBeat selected the same review when we compiled a roundup of the current 25 best restaurants in Cincinnati (according to Yelpers) a few weeks ago. Paayal’s review just sums up the whole Pepp & Dolores experience so well.
If you’re planning on visiting Pepp & Dolores, it’s recommended that you make a reservation ahead of time, which you can do here.
You can see the full Yelp Top 100 U.S. Restaurants list here. Columbus’ Kitchen Social, which has a location in Montgomery (9340 Montgomery Road), also made the list.
Pepp & Dolores, 1501 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. More info peppanddolores.com.
Related
Subscribe to our Mailing List!
Sign up. We hope you like us, but if you don’t, you can unsubscribe by following the links in the email, or by dropping us a note at policy@citybeat.com.
By clicking “Sign up” above, you consent to allow us to contact you via email, and store your information using our third-party service provider. To see more information about how your information is stored and privacy protected, visit our policies page.
Dining and Cooking