Food, service, and ambiance--all excellent and memorable. If you haven't been to this little gem of a restaurant in Wilmington's Little Italy, you're missing something truly unique. You owe it to yourself to visit Chef Luigi. Both he and his restaurant are one of a kind. Five star rating for certain. read more

Food was very disappointing. And although I love cats, it was strange to have one walking around the dining area. I will not be back.

Well deserved 5 stars! The food is amazing. All homemade by Chef Luigi, a CIA trained chef. I had Braciola which was truly the best I ever had with an equally amazing hearty red sauce. An off menu item but I called ahead and Chef was more than willing to accommodate. My wife had a Roasted Pear, Goat Cheese, Mellon and Dandelion Green Dinner Salad which she enjoyed very much. The portions were huge. The ambience pleasantly eclectic with Christmas Classics proving a soft background. Our server Doris was very attentive, funny and pleasantly conversational. conversational More than a dinner, a real experience!! Don't believe the low star reviewers! If you take time to check out their profiles you will find that most are people that seem to enjoy giving all restaurants bad reviews read more

Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities Restaurant - Dandelion Salad - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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I loved the food! The people are so nice! You will like Luigi himself! The service was nice! Very nice servers! The place was so clean! I love the place. I love Italian food! I was raised on it~~~plus American food, of course! Try it out for yourselves! read more

One of our favorite restaurants. It's like eating in Luigi's kitchen Unique place with personality and food

I had very high expectations but wasn't very impressed. I had arancini for an appetizer that were good but the blue cheese didn't make sense for me to be in the dish. It was very overpowering. For the main dish I ordered veal spezzato with broccoli rabe on the side and both dishes were very oily. My friends had ravioli, tortellini, and gnocchi that were decent and I wish I ordered gnocchi. For dessert I had cannoli and that was really good. read more

Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities Restaurant - Veal spezzato and broccoli rabe in the front. Ravioli and tortellini in the back - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

How? How, is this getting five stars? From the odd entrance that brings you directly into the kitchen, to the crowded dining room, there really is nothing positive to write. Oh wait, the Sinatra is positive. Back to the negatives. The food. I didn't realize Guy Fieri had visited here. If I'd known that, I would have expected what I got. Really bad food. If this food is fresh, it was fresh ten years ago. Now, it's just been frozen and reheated in the oven. I could describe the bitterness of the tomato sauce or the overcooked pasta, but it's not worth it. It's just bad food. Go to Wegmans, grab a take home meal, you will get a better experience. read more

Finally, I have found the best italian food in Delaware. Came across this place and was amazed by the accolades it had received through the years. Ranked top 1000 italian places worldwide, appeared on DDD. Owner/Chef also attended Culinary institute or America. I ordered the chicken fontina but received the chicken parm. Cant even be mad, that chicken was incredible with the panko seasoning. The noodles, sauce and bread were also great. All homemade here got to respect that, truly a incredible meal and it's a honor to have a meal by someone who's got incredible experience like this. Definitely will be back to try more. Highly recommend read more

I was jealous of Luigi's operation as soon as I saw it. A whimsical building inside and out is very welcoming. Luigi has a sidewalk window for ordering pizzas for lunch as he preps for dinner, an homage to his Brooklyn upbringing. Then a quick nap and he's ready for dinner service. Chatting with the waitress over a decent house red I learned all kinds of local gossip including what Joe Jam is (Joe Biden goes home nearly every weekend causing shutdowns on 95 and local roads during Friday night rush hours and Monday morning rush hours). I mentioned to the waitress I was hoping for something not on the menu, a special dish I saw on DDD, and Luigi was happy to make it, Veal Scalloini Rollatini. This was very nice, great milk fed veal stuffed with prociutto & mozz, served with superb mushrooms in a rich Marsala sauce. Handmade Pistachio Ice Cream topped a great experience, not to be missed. Put this place on your must visit list. Taste ***** Quality/Freshness ***** Presentation/Uniqueness ***** Service ****** Atmosphere ***** Bar **** Cleanliness **** Value ***** read more

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Food is fantastic! The flavors are what always make you want to return. The homemade lemon,pear and orange cello were very refreshing. We Will be back!! read more

The food was amazing! Our party of four sampled a large portion of the menu tonight, everything came out hot & absolutely delish. The sea bass on particular had rave reviews from everyone at the table. We started with the beet salad. The portion was large enough to share. The charcuterie platter is loaded with great cheese and Italian meat specialties. Very yummy. Everything was prepared with the freshest ingredients. The veal just melts in your mouth. Desserts are made in house with the same care. Of course, we sampled a few of those too! Love this restaurant. Chief Luigi is a master and Doris is a delight to have as a server, highly recommend this restaurant read more

Mr. Vitrone is a unique individual with excellent cooking skills, a fourth generation butcher. He loves what he does cooking authentic Italian food. He is a hands-on guy and even answers the phone when you call the restaurant. You can tell in his eyes that he's very passionate about what he does, food preparation. There are only a few individuals on the planet with his passion. I had the honor of meeting him a few weeks back. You got to admire a guy who hasn't given into corporate interests and does his wonderful own thing. Isn't that what living and life is about? His love of food preparation and Italian cuisine is evident in what he serves to his guests. And his name is Maestro read more

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Eccentric & Eclectic with regional Italian excellence on top. Luigi is a "one man band" as he makes his pasta & dishes from scratch in a tiny kitchen big enough for one. He has one sweet, efficient waitress that has easily been with him for a decade plus. This place is like walking into a collectors home. The walls and ledges are covered with personal memento's & memorabilia. Although kitschy I am not a fan of this. My dinner companions liked it. The place was clean given all of that. I ordered the veal parmigiana and my husband ordered the T bone special. Very high quality meats; they could be cut with just a fork. I particularly liked my house salad which was chock full of lettuces, veggies and some fruit with balsamic vinaigrette. We ordered the fried mozzarella which had a type of batter coating (same on my veal) but the mozzarella ball inside wasn't hot. I don't know if it was supposed to be or not. The Italian food here is Luigi's interpretation so it might be different than what one maybe used to; albeit good. All of our desserts where homemade and did not disappoint. This place is definitely worth a visit. Once you understand Luigi's concept you will become a fan. If your taste buds are more reminiscent of Italian chains than this may not be your "cup of Cappuccino"; so to speak. Bon Appetito! read more

Saw on Triple D's Take recommendations, don't just order the food from show. Everything was excellent. Came in when it first opened for the day and we had the place to ourselves for the most part. Got to chat with the waitress, who was very sweet. AMAZING FOOD!!! Quirky, interesting place. I highly recommend! Talked to owner some too. He is a nice guy. Check it out. You will enjoy. To top off we went to a Lantern Light Festival afterwards, which made the evening even better. read more

This place is the most authentic Italian place in Delaware. I'm not saying it just because they were featured on Guy Fieri's show but because we've dined in here multiple times. Besides the eccentric ambience & homely atmosphere, the quality of food takes your mind nowhere but to the picturesque streets of Florence in Tuscany. read more

Was in town for business and found this gem. Great atmosphere, fantastic food and conversation with the owner, Luigi. Every time I'm in town this place is a must stop. read more

The best Italian restaurant in the area! It's small and you may think you are not at a restaurant when you walk in the door but once you sit down and the food starts coming out you will thank me for recommending The place. The pasta and many other foods are homemade and the server is helpful and very friendly. Make sure you call and make a reservation as this place is small. read more

Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities Restaurant - Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

Amazing find! In town for the weekend and we were craving some Italian and this lived up to the billing. All of our pastas were delicious, generously portioned, and clearly freshly made in house with love. read more

**** 4 1/2 Stars **** --------------------------- I have to say that this was one of most---if not the most---unique dining experience we've ever had. Before going to Wilmington, I looked at a map and saw that they had a "Little Italy". Some googling lead me to a website for the neighborhood. There I learned about this restaurant. In a travel forum, I asked which restaurant we should try in Little Italy and the majority said Luigi Vitrone's. They also recommended making a reservation. We called the restaurant on a Saturday afternoon and got their voice mail. My husband left a message asking if we could come in at 5 p.m. Within minutes, our phone rang and Luigi himself called. He asked if we could come in at 5:15. We agreed. We got there early, explored the neighborhood a bit, then sat in a bench outside the restaurant. When we entered, right off you notice the quirky decor. The best way to describe it is Cracker Barrel on steroids! No surprise that right next door, Luigi also has an antiques store. We also noticed that the kitchen is in the front of the restaurant and no one was there. We entered a second room, again no one. In the third room was a lady who worked there. This is where the small bar is. We were sat at a table that had for a centerpiece, an old fashioned black dial phone, which reminded me of the phone my grandmother had. Luigi makes just about everything from scratch, except for the whole wheat pasta and the gluten-free pasta---and it shows in his cooking. We had the place to ourselves and the lady's undivided attention. She was very friendly and knew the menu quite well. To drink, I had an Italian almond soda which was garnished with whipped cream, some almonds and a cherry. It was so tasty that I had to restrain myself from drinking it all at once. My husband had some Chianti. We started with an appetizer, Fresh Bufalo Mozzarella, which consists of: "lightly breaded, sauteed, served with marinara sauce". This was very tasty---the cheese was creamy and the marinara sauce was full-bodied. After we ate the appetizer, we were brought a slice of cheese pizza, which puzzled us. We were told that some days Luigi serves bread, other days, a slice of pizza. The pizza had thin, crispy crust with the sauce and cheeses being well-balanced. For my main course, I had gnocchi, which comes with a tomato sauce that has ground beef. Just note, that the menu doesn't mention the beef so if you don't want any, let them know. For the most part, the gnocchi was pillowy soft, almost melt in your mouth. However, there was the occasional one that was underdone. My husband had eggplant rollatini which is "rolled around seasoned ricotta, pomodoro sauce". While he liked it, he thought that there was just too much cheese. This dish also comes with a side of risotto, which my husband said was properly prepared. He also got a side of meatballs, which consists of 2 of them. These meatballs were wonderful! They were moist and laced with fresh basil which gave them a unique and unforgettable flavoring. We were too full for dessert so we asked if we could get the dessert to go. The lady showed us the dessert tray and I picked Italian cheesecake which was amaretto flavored. My husband picked apple pie. I asked if they had any plastic forks or spoons. They were able to scrounge up a couple of spoons. I liked the cheesecake as it had great amaretto flavor. My husband was disappointed with the apple pie because the skin was left on the apples. Eating here was like having dinner at someone's house. We had a nice chat with the lady. She was surprised that we were from VA and knew about Luigi's. She then went to tell Luigi where we were from LOL! Before the tip, dinner cost $61. When we left, we called a cab and sat outside. The lady came out and asked us if we wanted to wait inside since it was so hot. We declined as we knew the cab would be there soon. Next time we're in town, we'll be back. The food and the hospitality were excellent! read more

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This place has been on my list ever since the DDD episode aired last year. Unfortunately, our lord and savior Guy Fieri was way off on this one. Amongst our entire table, not a single dish was worth writing home about- and that includes appetizers, entrees, and desserts. We ordered rice balls and buffalo mozzarella to start, and were surprised to see each $12 appetizer only consisted of two portions (that's $6 per ball!). The rice balls were mediocre, and the mozzarella was cold- you would think fried mozzarella at an Italian joint would be a gimme, but we were sadly mistaken. Much to our surprise, the pasta dishes would have been best described as soggy and blah. But not to worry! Us simpletons only thought that because we're "not accustomed to homemade pasta", as the owner Luigi tried to condescendingly explain after receiving our feedback. Ah, of course! Despite the mediocrities up to that point, we decided to order some desserts to go- because hey, maybe that will be their saving grace and make up for the disappointing entrees and apps. After paying the (overpriced) bill and arriving home, I opened the takeout box to try out my cannoli. You can imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was 37% filled. But again, not to worry! Luigi ever so kindly educated us on the intricacies of cannoli filling, and how "sometimes the whey is skinny or less firm".. subpar food, subpar excuses. My personal favorite part of this bizarre experience was when Luigi ended an email with "if you were so unsatisfied.. why did you order another pasta dish to go??" Said pasta dish was ordered ahead of time along with the rest of our food, before we had the chance to consume letdown after letdown. Come on, man.. if you're going to act like a defensive little schoolboy, at least do your homework. In conclusion, if you're looking for Italian and are considering trying this place out.. don't. You're much better off warming up a bag of frozen mozzarella sticks and a can of Chef Boyardee. read more

Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

I've now been getting take out for lunch at this fantastic place on and off for the better part of the year thanks to the recommendation of a coworker. The menu is updated daily on the Facebook page. Every meal is $8 and it includes a small salad and water. Cash only. The food is consistently excellent and pick up is always easy in and out. You really should give it a try. read more

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Don't know what the hype is about this place. Food was mediocre. Waitress was a ditz. There is absolutely no ambiance unless you like clutter and dirt. Complete disappointment read more

Absolutely unique experience. Quaint and romantic atmosphere, beautiful decor. The food was some of the best I've ever had. Calamari & lobster bisque was top notch. Ravioli and tortellini as entres were out of the world. Cannoli and truffles were rich and flavorful. I could stare at the walls in this hidden gem for hours and find something unique. The Italian music really brought it together. The chef prepares everything himself (trust me you have to taste it to believe it) and the waitress (Doris) is so kind & polite. Wonderful people overall - will definitely be visiting again. Would highly recommend, especially if looking for a unique high quality, and off the beaten path experience. Thank you for making our stay special :) read more

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This is a fun place for an evening out of good Italian food. The personal touch from chef Vitrone is a rare experience for me. When was the last time I chef ever said, "I'll make you anything you want.". Whenever we have out of town company and they want us to show them something local when we go out to eat, we take them here. read more

All of the food is Simply Delicious delicious service everything's good thereTortellinigreàt

Ahh, where do I even start? This is one of Wilmington's best kept Italian secrets. Super unique, charming, and you would easily miss it driving through Wilmington's (very) Little Italy. Luigi cooks, bakes, and all his Italian magic is done in the front of the house where you can observe him in the kitchen. You actually have to walk through his kitchen to get seated--like I mentioned, super unique. My husband and I love this place and his homemade raviolini (highly recommend!) and tortellini and pasta remind us of all the authentic good eats on our last trip to Italy. Luigi mans the kitchen while Doris heads the front (but really back locationally) of the house. She's ridiculously friendly, attentive, and brings extra charm to the entire experience of eating here. The decor just has so much to look at. It's like a Cracker Barrel threw up Italian with so many knickknacks and interesting pieces throughout the place. The ceiling has sparkling lights for their interpretation of "dining under the stars". It's cute because it's so cheesy. Now more about the food! The prix fixe is a steal! For only $23 it included a giant appetizer of a huge arancini (risotto and cheese filled) and baked, ricotta stuffed fresh mushrooms, and Panko breaded calamari. It was ridiculously good. I had a choice of pasta fagiole (with homemade pasta) and split pea soup. Hearty and savory. So I already ate pasta fagiole soup, bruschetta, a giant appetizer, a bite of my husband's buffalo mozzarella, and I was stuffed before my main entree. For the main: options included pork chop parmigiana, shrimp or steak marinara and filet of sole. I opted for the fish and it was delicious. Super flakey and stuffed with ricotta and lump crab meat. It also came with a giant side of homemade pasta in tomato sauce. I loved all I could eat and ended up boxing most of it home. I wish I had room for dessert because I've heard his baking is phenomenal as well. This is one of the most unique restaurants in Delaware and I highly recommend it. It's cozy and I would say better suited for a date or small group of people (6 max). Luigi puts a lot of love and effort in his cooking and you can tell. Each plate is thoughtfully garnished, our entrees came out with fresh orchids! If you're looking for something new, definitely try this place out! On a side note, long time Delawareans rumor Luigi use to be in the Mafia and this is his hideaway but I think he's way too nice for this to be true. But if it is, Mafia people, leave Luigi in peace--his place is a treasure and should be respected! read more

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The best homemade Italian food in Delaware! I drive from PA all the time for Luigi's Pastabilities. Everything is amazing on the menu & the specials are off the charts. The ambiance is quirky and fun. Doris serves up the Chef's creations and makes you feel like family. The meals are plentiful and I always take home enough to enjoy the next day. Try the cannolis as you can't go wrong! read more

Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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The food was sooo delicious!!! I got the Chicken Parm and cannoli for dessert. Check this place out for real authentic Italian Food. Environment was fun and unique I'll be back soon:) 10/10 read more

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Wonderful, eclectic Italian tucked away in Wilmington. Chef Luigi's homemade pasta is delicious. Baked manicotti was best I've had. Also try the kitchen sink salad. Finished off our meal with bananas foster, one of the many desserts to choose from. read more

Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities Restaurant - Homemade manicotti & meatballs - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

Luigi the owner of the place is the Chef His food I am telling you is real down home Italian food ( soul food) Over the top Service and food both are excellent read more

Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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Osso Bucco, Demi Glacé over Risotto Milanese for the win! This is the best restaurant around, hands down. read more

Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

Delicious food, great service. I stopped by on my way home from work and the chef was people watching since it was beautiful out. He greeted me and told me to help myself to any seat in the house. I found a seat at the bar, very quaint inside, a homely feeling. The menu definitely was custom to what the chef makes, so loved that it's not the typical Italian restaurant. I got the arronicini ball, and that tasted interesting-- a little sweet for my liking but the size and crispness were on on point. For dinner I ordered the gnocchi and man was it delish! Definitely do not judge this book by its curb appeal, go in, take a seat, and enjoy the food adventure. Everything is made to order and not frozen. You taste the quality that goes into the end product. read more

A wonderful experience. First off the place is so cool. A very old and vintage style. With odd but endearing feelings when you walk in. The waiter was very nice and told us about the restaurants history. The food was very authentic and had a homemade charm to it. Also the owner Luigi Vitrone was very cool. read more

Ok, from the start we plan our arrival for the 5 pm open, I pull up with my party at 5:05 and get yelled at through a window 5:15!!! So we wait and are greeted by an unlocked door, we find a table in an empty restaurant and get comfy, then we're asked if we have reservations? No? Then we're not allowed to sit at that table, we must move to another, OK, then asked by the chef if we're ready to order, no drinks or wine yet! Just pushy, rude, blunt! Whatya want!! So we order an appetizer and an array of entree's the appetizer was delivered sans wine! the arancini were awesome and obviously homemade still no wine, post entree delivery we have water and wine!! Yay!! The gnocchi were mushy and heavy with a scarce tasteless sauce! The veal parm was over fried and covered in a thick pasty sauce! The putinesca was bland with one burnt Italian long hot, no olives, no capers and NO PASSION! Oh and by the way there was one other table seated just before we left! So sorry for no reservation! Desert! The truffles were delicious, the Cannoli was thick and maybe old! The "homemade" ice cream was ok but very icy! Not coming back and no recommend! Sorry Guy this one is a loss!! read more

Make reservations. The calamari was light and tender. Very good. The veal parmigiana and chicken parmigiana was amazing. The waitress was friendly like you were at home with family. I wish I would of taken a photo but we were enjoying our time there so much that nobody had a phone out. read more

After reading the reviews, I was encouraged in giving this place a try. We had reservations at 8:30p, and were seated right away. There is only 2 employees, the chef/owner and the waitress. It took a while before she was able to get our drink order. She brought out cheesy garlic bread, which tasted stale, so not a good start. I ordered spaghetti and meatballs and my partner order the gnocchi. My spaghetti was a little over done, but tasted good, the meatballs were very dry, but flavorful. The gnocchi was delicious. The chef decorated the plates with little bunches of salad ingredients, very strange and doesn't make the dish anymore appetizing, better off without it. Also, no fresh parmigiana, just the shaker. read more

This hidden gem is beyond ordinary. The restaurants Brooklyn born chef curated a dining experience that left us in awe! This is a very small made to order restaurant where you are surround by nostalgia and great music of yesteryear. As a Long Island transplant from an Italian neighborhood I can say this...wow!!! read more

Second time we have been there and the food was just as fantastic as the first time. The veal parmasean was so tender you could cut it with the fork..Delicious... The appetizers were so good. Go hungry. I don't know how he gets the food flying out of his kitchen. It is a tiny eclectic place which just makes it that much more fun. The waitress was wonderful and patient. One member of our group didn't like what he ordered and they replaced his order. We are looking forward to the next time we can go back. We are making up excuses to celebrate just to go again. If it wasn't for Food Network we wouldn't have had any idea this place existed. Sometimes Food Network gets it wrong. Not with Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities, it was even better in person! Thanks we will be back!!! Soon!!! read more

Luigi is back in great form! I have eaten at Pastabilities through Luigi's highs (most of the time) and lows (when he was ill a few years ago). If you are looking for authentic Italian cooking, this should be your go-to option. I have rarely been there when Luigi failed to come out to my table and ask if everything was good. He and his restaurant are the real deal!!! read more

This is a hidden gem. I will definitely be coming back. Excellent food, excellent staff, cozy and intimate dining experience. Best Italian in Little Italy! Very reasonably priced. This was my first time coming here, and I could not have been more pleased. Do yourself a favor and try this place! read more

Luigi Vitrone's Pastabilities Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware