OT - Italian Restaurants in Birmingham, AL

fence0407

Visiting some friends in the Birmingham area and we are looking for a good Italian restaurant. Prefer not to wear a suit and tie, but don't want a pizzeria either.

Any suggestions?

Smokinpig

Ali I can think of is Brio which is a chain.

fence0407

Thanks @Smokinpig - not sure if I've ever been to Brio, but I'll take a look.

alabamatom

Gian Marco's in Homewood.  Great, great, wonderful food. The help can at times be a little flaky, but the food is worth it. If you are going to go there, make a reservation a few days in advance, especially in you have a large group.

fence0407

Thanks @alabamatom! I'm checking with my friend to see if he's heard of these places or not.

tinee2001

When I lived in Alabama I used to eat at Joe's Italian in Alabaster (just south of Birmingham) every time I was in the area. Fresh food, good prices and killer desserts! Check them out online at http://www.joesitalianonline.com

nealcr1

+1 on Gian. I use to live in Homewood and it is great food. If your friend lives south of town I would go to Joe's Italian, but Gian is the real deal.

fence0407

Thanks @tinee2001 and @nealcr1

We tried making a reservation at Gian, but they were all booked. Joe's Italian is unfortunately a little too far from where my friend lives. 

DRKEgg

Ortega is an excellent choice too.

DRKEgg

Bottega

fence0407

We finally decided on Amore off of 280. The rolls were to die for (even re-heated the day after) and SWMBO had enough baked ziti to feed a small country. The white wine we had was unlike any other I'd had before (and so was the size of the check...they're proud of their food!).

Overall, not bad if you don't mind spending some $...and your eyes adjust quickly from being in a dark room for dinner.