The Best Italian Restaurants In 25 Big US Cities

Ethan Stowell RestaurantsWe as a culture have become obsessed with pizza, pasta, and the Italian way of eating. Cheesy sauces, perfect al dente noodles, and lots and lots of carbs — what's not to like?

But we've also done a great job of corrupting standard Italian fare with our pizza cone crusts and sliders, ignoring the simple, homemade ingredients that make food from the Old Country so wonderful in the first place.

Thankfully, there are still Italian gems in every city across the US that the Zagat editors took it upon themselves to find. They then put together a list of the top restaurants in 25 cities — from Austin to Washington, DC. — for traditional Italian dishes. Buon appetito!

Zagat ranks restaurants on a 30-point scale based on food, decór, and service. Ratings of 26 to 30 are considered "extraordinary to perfection," according to the company.