{"id":44962,"date":"2025-11-26T06:23:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T06:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/44962\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T06:23:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T06:23:09","slug":"ranuccis-serves-timeless-italian-cuisine-and-evocative-vibes-pittsburgh-city-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/44962\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranucci’s serves timeless Italian cuisine and evocative vibes – Pittsburgh City Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stepping into Ranucci\u2019s<\/a>, an Italian restaurant tucked away in a less-trafficked area of Sharpsburg, my cinephile senses begin to tingle.<\/p>\n

The bar, with its warm, well-maintained vintage look, recalls an early Martin Scorsese film, and at any moment, I expected Robert De Niro to walk in, his entrance heralded by a blaring Rolling Stones soundtrack. I envisioned a key scene from a modern HBO crime thriller, in which a detective returns to their small Rust Belt town to solve a murder and, in the process, confronts their troubled past. The large, U-shaped Ranucci\u2019s bar would serve as the setting of a clandestine meeting, where secrets would be revealed over cheap beer and warm shots. <\/p>\n

My dining companion and I were ushered to a high-top, passing an entrance to a cozy, well-lit main dining area that, for a Wednesday night, was surprisingly full. This demonstrated that, while I had only recently learned of the restaurant\u2019s existence, others were already well aware of its charm, suggesting a \u201cbest kept secret\u201d status. <\/p>\n

While the bar interior appeared stuck in time, the Ranucci\u2019s menu<\/a> proved timeless. Pittsburgh, a town with a proud Italian-American heritage, boasts several stand-out restaurants serving classic pasta, fish, and meat dishes (see: Alla Famiglia <\/a>in Allentown and DiAnoia\u2019s<\/a> in the Strip District). Despite its relatively recent opening as a project from Chef Robert Volpe, the restaurant easily joins the ranks of the city\u2019s must-try dining destinations.<\/p>\n

Volpe took over the former site of CC\u2019s Cafe in 2024, telling TribLive at the time<\/a>, \u201cI\u2019m here to provide authentic Italian cuisine.\u201d In the article, the impossibly young 23-year-old describes his family\u2019s Southern Italian roots and industry background (his father owns Bado\u2019s Cucina in Peters Township). Recipes, he states, are sourced from the restaurant\u2019s namesake, Volpe\u2019s great-grandmother, Annette Ranucci, who immigrated to New Castle. <\/p>\n

Even the simplest dishes on the Ranucci\u2019s menu deliver, namely the Greens and Beans, a starchy, savory starter that left me wanting more. Adding to the exceptional appetizers was the Butternut Squash Ravioli, a seasonal addition with a subtle, yet rich, pumpkin flavor enhanced by the saltiness of pecorino Romano.<\/p>\n

\"\"Greens and Beans at Ranucci\u2019s Credit: CP Photo: Amanda Waltz<\/p>\n

After deliberating over the entrees for what seemed like forever, I finally, reluctantly, settled on the basil pesto. I say \u201creluctantly\u201d because I had yet to find a pesto dish I liked \u2014 every previous one I tried tasted burnt or bitter. This one, however, with its \u201chomemade lemon pappardelle, cherry tomatoes, burrata cheese, [and] extra virgin olive oil,\u201d made me realize I had, in fact, been eating bad pesto.<\/p>\n

The Basil Pesto noodles delivered bite and were dense without being claggy, their thickness providing plenty of real estate for the lovely green sauce to cling. The milky cheese and other ingredients folded in nicely, with the tomatoes supplying a bright sweetness usually unheard of for late-season produce. Though unnecessary, the optional addition of shrimp (other proteins are also listed) further elevated the dish, pushing it into \u201ctoo much\u201d territory without actually crossing the line. <\/p>\n

My dining companion raved over his salmon dish, with its enticingly unusual additions of goat cheese, honey, and brown butter. <\/p>\n

With a year under its belt, Ranucci\u2019s has made an impression, drawing in CC\u2019s Cafe regulars (as Volpe claims) along with new customers. Italophiles will feel right at home, as well as diners more interested in savoring fresh pasta than performing Sopranos cosplay. While the term \u201cimmersive\u201d has been overused to the point of losing all meaning, I\u2019m tempted to apply it here, as Ranucci\u2019s delivers Volpe\u2019s \u201cauthentic Italian cuisine\u201d in an authentic, welcoming setting where one could easily spend hours eating, digesting, and sipping wine. <\/p>\n

Ranucci\u2019s Trattoria. 2218 Main St., Sharpsburg. ranuccis.net<\/a><\/p>\n

This article appears in Nov. 26-Dec. 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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