Peppone Restaurant

"If your heart flutters when you hear the words chianti and diavolo, you’ll love Peppone. This Brentwood classic looks like Tommy’s mom from Goodfellas handled the decor: stained glass, white cherub statues, paintings of Italy, even an autographed photo of Madonna. It’s classy from the moment a suited waiter unfolds your napkin onto your lap with a flick of their wrist. The crunchy garlic bread is free and your tablecloth is brushed between courses. At Peppone, you’re a VIP and should be given the steep prices. (A standard fritto misto costs as much as our internet bill.) You at least get your money’s worth in flavor, though, like the dover sole bathed in a garlicky-white wine gravy, the al dente Chicago rigatoni with sausage, and juicy “special” meatballs that are indeed special." - brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder

"Compared to most spots on this guide, Peppone exists on an island. For one, it’s not on San Vicente. It’s also more red-sauce Italian than “Italian-Italian,” if you care for labels. The low-ceilinged room looks like Tommy’s mom from Goodfellas handled the decor: stained glass, miniature cherub statues, and paintings of Venetian canals. Suited waiters unfold your napkin and brush the tablecloth between courses. The food is expensive—even by Brentwood standards—but homey and flavorful, like dover sole bathed in garlicky-white wine gravy, al dente rigatoni Chicago with peppery sausage, and juicy “special” meatballs that are indeed special. If a fritto misto didn’t cost the same as our internet bill, we might say this is the best Italian spot in the neighborhood, if not the most fun." - sylvio martins, arden shore, brant cox

"Compared to other Brentwood Italian restaurants, Peppone exists on an island. For one, it’s not on San Vicente. It’s also more red-sauce Italian than “Italian-Italian.” The low-ceilinged room looks like Tommy’s mom from Goodfellas handled the decor: stained glass, miniature cherub statues, and paintings of Venetian canals. Suited waiters unfold your napkin and brush the tablecloth between courses. The food is expensive—even by Brentwood standards—but homey and flavorful, like dover sole bathed in garlicky-white wine gravy, al dente rigatoni Chicago with peppery sausage, and juicy “special” meatballs that are indeed special. If a fritto misto didn’t cost the same as our internet bill, we might say this is the best Italian spot in the neighborhood, if not the most fun." - sylvio martins, brant cox, nikko duren

"If your heart flutters when you hear the words chianti and diavolo, you’ll love Peppone. This Brentwood classic looks like Tommy’s mom from Goodfellas handled the decor: stained glass, white cherub statues, paintings of Italy, and even an autographed photo of Madonna. It’s homey from the moment your butt sinks into a red leather booth and a suited waiter unfolds your napkin with a flick of their wrist. The crunchy garlic bread is gratis and the tablecloth is brushed between courses. At Peppone, you’re a VIP, and you should be given the steep prices. (A standard fritto misto costs as much as our internet bill.) You’ll get your money’s worth in flavor, though. The dover sole bathed in a garlicky white wine gravy, the al dente Chicago rigatoni with sausage, and juicy “special” meatballs are all indeed special. Food Rundown photo credit: Sylvio Martins Garlic Bread We’re accustomed to gooey, cheesy garlic bread, but Peppone’s comes with a thin, crackly crust that we like. It’s also free, which we like even more. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Fritto Misto Maybe it’s the dim lighting, but we can’t find any particular reason why this perfectly fine fritto misto costs $48. You won’t be offended, nor will you be blown away. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Linguine & Special Meatballs “Everyone thinks they’re special.” Listen, these meatballs really are. They’re charred on the sides, plump and moist in the middle, and seasoned by someone loves salt as much as we do. The linguine is mostly there to clean up the marinara left behind. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Rigatoni Chicago We didn’t ask about the Midwestern lore behind this signature pasta, but here’s what we do know: the rigatoni is al dente, the smashed sausage has a nice peppery heat, and marinara is so thick it seeps into the pasta tubes. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Dover Sole This fish is light and delicate, but if you look closely, there’s a layer of browned butter on the skin. It’s basted until every inch is nutty and crispy. The best part: the rich gravy made with fish stock, white wine, and garlic that we’d wish could drench our next Thanksgiving turkey with. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Spumoni This elegant, neatly sliced wedge of spumoni is soft and smooth— a classy end to a comforting meal." - Sylvio Martins