Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's Ristorante Italiano (formerly the Factory Kitchen) takes you on a culinary tour of Italy in a streamlined and easily digestible vehicle. It does recommendable Italian at a friendly price point with recipes that will open your eyes to the possibilities of this cuisine. The quality of the olive oil is noticeable, the cannolis are the thing to get for dessert, and the wine list is quite manageable -- almost entirely Italian, listed by grape varietals, and priced to drink starting at a reasonable $50. 

 

As for the food menu, dishes you've never heard of (ortalana, peperu, sorentina, mandilli di seta) sit right beside those you probably have (carpaccio, branzino, pappardelle, frittura), but everything is completely described in English. Not to be missed are the stuffed peppers, prosciutto, crispy-fried sage dough, plancha-roasted octopus,  noodles in almond-basil pesto, lamb chops, and 16-ounce rib eye. 

 

And don't forget those cannolis. They're in a class all their own.