Ciao Time

When you walk into Scotti’s you may feel like you’re walking into an Italian restaurant designed for a Hollywood set.

Chianti bottles with dripping candles? Check.

Dim lights and opera playing? Check.

Lots of classic pastas dishes dripping with sauce? Check.

But Scotti’s has been open at 919 Vine St. since 1912, when the stereotype of an Italian restaurant was but a gleam in the Olive Garden’s eye. It is the “capi di tutti capi” of an Italian restaurant.

The menu is rich in pasta choices, sauces, and veal, steak, and clam dishes. Each entree is served with soup and salad along with bread and butter. (No one is going away hungry.) The red sauce is hearty and flavorful, and not cloyingly sweet. The eggplant parm is almost delicate.

For dessert, your options are spumoni, cannoli, and tiramisu and that’s exactly what you should order.

But what really makes Scotti’s a Cincinnati tradition is the ambiance. History is everywhere, from the neon centenary sign to the old cash register in the basement. The tiled walls, checkered tablecloths, and candlelight create an atmosphere perfect for a boys night night, family get-together, or romantic dinner.