Pepp & Dolores4 min read

Pepp & Dolores 

A night with no regrets… 

Although you are stepping into a new space, you feel like you just came to dinner at a big, old- city Italian spot. Perfect Italian food in OTR. Every dish, recreated from the Lanni family cookbook at Pepp & Dolores, was so amazing. The name — after grandma & grandpa, of course. The recipes and feel of the family keep consistent throughout the restaurant.  

The Thunderdome Restaurant Group, which includes brothers Joe & John Lanni and partner Alex Blust, have had one hit after another — Maplewood, Currito, Bakersfield, The Eagle, CityBird, Krueger’s, Kaze and SoHi.  But, I feel this is the one they’ve thought about since the beginning. They do food and they do it really well and this was worth the wait. 

When you walk in, you will think this has been around for decades. It has that old-school Italian feel with the checkered floor, bistro tables, and a great bar. (My favorite part of the bar is the little cocktail shelves.  You feel like you’ve marked your spot by having a place to put your drink) :)  There is also a little surprise…hidden behind the bar are two movie-like stairwells that lead down to the lower level that has a romantic feel – dark wood and black and white family photos all over the walls and another cool bar. 

Ok, now that you can picture yourself sitting and sipping, let’s talk about food. This menu is full of some of the most amazing Italian I’ve tasted.  For starters, the Artichokes All Giudia is the prettiest artichoke you’ve ever had and the flavor makes it something you won’t want to share ;) The Dunk is warm bread that is dunked into a bowl of olive oil, vinegar and is full of seasoning that is sure to be a party in your mouth. (John told me this family recipe started when they were kids and they would fight to use the bread to soak up the dressing at the bottom of the salad bowl). Ah, traditions!

The Dunk

I’ve been here a few times already so I can recommend several items I’ve tried – The Meatballs, Eggplant Involtini, The Sunday Sauce, Pesto Pasta (yum),  Cacio E Pepe (if you love pepper, you’ll love this), The Vodka Pasta, Limone (light and delish). I have really enjoyed every bite, so you can’t go wrong. The service makes you feel you are part of the family. Even on the friends & family night which is usually the practice night, service was excellent – it felt like they have all worked there forever. That is rare these days! 

Make sure to look through the window outside on 15th St. so you don’t miss out on watching the pasta that is being made fresh – every day! Also, make sure you enjoy one of the specialty drinks especially the Fratelli Libre (with a special Pepp or Dolores mini coke bottle) or the Limoncello & Tonic. Obviously, there is still more I need to taste, so I’ll meet you there! 

Things to Know:

* Lunch coming soon :) 

• Valet parking available Th – Sat
• 1501 Vine St. 
• Hours – Tuesday – Thursday, Sunday 4-11, Friday, Saturday & Sunday Kitchen 4-11pm, Friday & Saturday Bar only 11pm-1am
• No Reservations so come prepared :) But you can give your number and walk around OTR