Molinari’s

Save the airfare and savor the season at this passionate love letter to Italy, written from the heart of the community.

WHAT’S THE VIBE LIKE?

With understated decor, the current of Molinari’s is truly carried by the humming Italian atmosphere, the genuine hospitality, and the celebration of coming together for merriment to eat food grown in the community. (Look for the proudly-hung chalkboard in the dining room to see the local farms that grew the food on your plate.)

CHEERS

For the third consecutive year, Molinari’s has remained the only family-owned Lehigh Valley restaurant to earn a Wine Spectator award. The cocktails are also handcrafted beauties worth getting excited about. Inspired libations like the Concord Pisco Agrodolce has the pillowy egg white foam topping that proper sour drinks are known for—and it’s made with local, free-range eggs to boot.

WE LOVE

The Porcini Canestri is a shining example of how radiant a ragu dish can be. Cooked al dente and made in-house, as all of the pastas are, this pasta is shaped like a little bowl—ideal for scooping up the savory mouthfuls of meaty bliss. Made with pork, veal, beef, pancetta, and San Marzano tomatoes, this unforgettable red sauce has been a staple recipe of the restaurant for six years.

Q&A WITH MOLINARI’S

WHY IS SOURCING FOOD LOCALLY SO IMPORTANT?

The quality and freshness of the ingredients has an immediate impact on the flavor of a dish. It’s also about sustainability. We elevate authentic Italian cuisine to the highest summit with ingredients grown right in our backyards. Molinari’s recently earned an Eat Real certification after being vetted by a registered dietitian. The certification is a nationally-recognized designation as being a restaurant with responsible epicurean agricultural leadership for food sourcing and ingredient selection.

HOW DOES EDUCATION PLAY A ROLE AT MOLINARI’S?

The staff is constantly learning, including sending the chef to Milan. (That trip is the reason why the housemade pasta is so wonderfully silky.) The restaurant also hosts educational events, like regional wine pairing dinners.