From The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald Best Nearby Italian (Restaurants) (10 Overall Closest) Metro: Edmonton, AB Sorrentino's (Restaurants - Italian) 10162 - 100 St, Edmonton  AB  T5J 0P5 • 780-424-7500 Distance: ~168 m         Description: This is considered the "jewel in the crown" of a small local chain, and indeed, the elegant décor here has made it exceptionally popular for private parties and weddings. Popular with local office workers who want more than fast food for lunch, Sorrentino's offers a fantastic midday pasta bar and creative salads. Classic Italian options abound at dinner time, such as veal marsala with mushrooms, seafood risotto, grilled lamb chops with olive oil and herbs, fusilli primavera, gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce. Sorrentino's is also known for its annual Garlic Festival each April and its Mushroom Harvest festival in September. Il Portico Restaurant (Restaurants - Italian) 10012 - 107 St NW, Edmonton  AB  T5J 1J2 • 780-424-0707 Distance: ~1.005 km         Description: Edmonton is teeming with Italian restaurants. Usually, this sort of abundance leads to a healthy level of competition, and encourages some to excel. That's the case with Il Portico. Not only is the restaurant exceptionally attractive, it serves fabulous food. Menu standouts include papardelle with osso bucco sauce and gremolata, veal marsala with pea-mint risotto, Tuscan seafood stew, and pan seared scallops with asparagus and mushrooms. Its crowning glory though, is a remarkable wine list, acknowledged with Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence. Enjoy it in good health! Rigoletto's (Restaurants - Italian) 10068 108 St NW Mayfair Hotel, Edmonton  AB  T5J 1K6 • 780-429-0701 Distance: ~1.101 km         Description: The Mayfair Hotel's restaurant, with vintage movie posters, big potted plants and arched windows, is reminiscent of another decade, a time that was a bit more romantic and less stressful. This somewhat abstract quality, paired with affordable prices and extended hours, gives Rigoletto's an edge in Edmonton's Italian restaurant market. Salads are fresh and generous, pastas are perfectly cooked and well-sauced, meats are tender and satisfying. Even the service is adept, and the wine list is short but more than sufficient. Allegro Italian Kitchen (Restaurants - Italian) 10011 109 St NW, Edmonton  AB  T5J 3S8 • 780-424-6644 Distance: ~1.244 km         Description: Allegro is small but comfortable with a cosmopolitan vibe that Edmonton's young professionals find particularly appealing. It's a fine environment in which to enjoy a steaming plate of perfectly al dente pasta: rigatoni with garlicky chicken, cheesy ravioli, linguine with clams and mussels, and penne with asparagus and fresh salmon are all exceptionally satisfying. House wines are surprisingly good, too, although there are plenty of others to choose from. As an added bonus, a pianist entertains on weekend evenings. Copper Pot (Restaurants - Italian) 9707 110 St NW Capital Place Building, Edmonton  AB  T5K1H9 • 780-452-7800 Distance: ~1.542 km         Description: Situated in the Capital Place Building, the Copper Pot is about as swanky as Edmonton gets, with great big windows overlooking some of the city's most lovely sights. You'd never know it, but in a former life this space was a popular venue for irreverent post-punk bands. Luckily for the gastronomically inclined, all traces of cheap beer and moshing teenagers are long gone, replaced by fine wines, excellent cuisine and a more restrained but no less appreciative clientele. Favorite starters include pan-seared Chilean seabass with fresh fennel risotto, beef tenderloin-wrapped scallops, and bruschetta; top main courses range from espresso rubbed bison ribeye to wild mushroom and cashew crusted lamb to four cheese tortelloni. Sicilian Pasta Kitchen (Restaurants - Italian) 11239 Jasper Ave, Edmonton  AB  T5K 0L5 • 780-488-3838 Distance: ~1.643 km         Description: Everything in this Kitchen is made from scratch – there are no jarred sauces, no packaged mixes, no frozen entrees. The setting is casually inviting, with a mural of the Italian countryside on one wall and a sports bar just adjacent. Seafood is exceptionally well done here; mussels in gorgonzola cream sauce, and Salmone Affumicato (smoked salmon with all the trimmings) are wonderful starters, and any of the second and main course pastas with seafood are great as well. You can also opt for Sicilian thin crust pizza, traditional spaghetti and meatballs, or classic veal parmesan. Molto squisito! That's Aroma! A Garlic Restaurant & Bar (Restaurants - Italian) 11010-101 St Hy's Centre, Edmonton  AB  T5H 4B9 • 780-425-7335 Distance: ~1.794 km         Description: A restaurant devoted completely to garlic may not appeal to some, but if you have any affinity whatsoever for the pungent bulb you'll not want to pass this one by. The menu is Italian with global accents, and virtually every dish features garlic. Among the starters, a fabulous rendition of classic garlic soup is the hands-down winner. There are plenty of other options, too, like samosas, calamari with aioli, hummus, and leafy green salads with lovely garlic vinaigrette. Continue the allium theme with a grilled steak sizzling with garlic butter, curried shrimp, chicken parmesan, barbecue ribs, or a hearty pasta dish. That's Aroma! has a cozy lounge area as well – a good place to hang out with friends and shoot pool or catch the game. Tony's Pizza Palace (Restaurants - Italian) 9605 111 Ave NW, Edmonton  AB  T5G 0A9 • 780-424-8777 • 780-424-8769 Distance: ~2.005 km         Description: Ah, Tony's! This is high quality pie, not that cheap, two-for-one stuff you can find on practically every corner. The crust is hand tossed, and just thick enough to carry the toppings. It's topped with real sauce, real fresh mozzarella, fresh veggies and a great variety of meats. Pizza purists (remember Ignatius J. Reilly?) will swoon over the Margherita with its three simple toppings: tomato sauce, fresh basil, mozzarella. Meat fanciers will adore Mario's Special, with prosciutto, capicollo, artichokes and capers. There's also a wide selection of pastas, entrees and appetizers, and really, they're all pretty good. But the star of the show here is the pizza! Pharos Pizza and Spaghetti (Restaurants - Italian) 8708 109 St NW, Edmonton  AB  T6G 1E9 • 780-433-5205 Distance: ~2.502 km         Description: For decades, Pharos has been a favorite with U of A students and alumni. You could chalk it up to the location, right on the edge of the U of A campus adjacent to the Garneau Theatre, and the somewhat dated (but now considered retro cool) furnishings spread out beneath an incredible vaulted ceiling. But the bottom line is the food, and the Greek owners know how to cook it! Soul satisfying pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches in generous portions, at affordable prices. That's what it's really all about, and why Pharos continues to have a hallowed spot in the hearts of so many college graduates. Funky Pickle Pizza Co. (Restaurants - Italian) 11152 - 82 Ave College Plaza Professional Bldg, Edmonton  AB  T6E 2A1 • 780-434-9818 Distance: ~2.644 km         Description: Old Strathcona's longtime late-night pizza joint, where pub crawlers can stumble in for a slice, and homebodies can order in a whole pie. Sure you can get standard varieties like pepperoni and mushroom or sausage and peppers, but why not try something a little....funkier? The Funky Chicken (teriyaki chicken, snow peas, red peppers, bean sprouts, cilantro, Spanish onions, toasted sesame seeds), the Cornald Sausanager (onions, corn, Bavarian sausage, cheddar, red peppers), or the Pickled Pepper (hot pepperoni, hot banana peppers, cracked peppercorns, mushrooms, spicy sauce) are all much loved. But there are more than 25 toppings, so you can also make up your own outlandish combination! Copyright ©2001 10Best Inc. All rights reserved.