Coming to America

When Locust Point gives you Limoncello, you’ll feel like you’re actually in Italy.

- JANE MARION

FROM PEPPERONI PIZZA to garlic bread and chicken Parm, most of what we consider iconic Italian food in the United States is more of a construct created for Americans than something you’d actually find in Italy. In fact, Italian cuisine has become so popular and ubiquitous in the U.S., it’s almost as American as apple pie. Rare is the restaurant that actually feels like it holds an Italian passport.

Enter Limoncello, located on the first floor of Anthem House in Locust Point, with a sister spot in St. Michael’s. This southern Italian restaurant focuses on the cuisine from the Campania region, where its three owners have their roots. And the general manager (and chef ’s first cousin) Vincenzo Schiano, who also hails from the region, likes to joke that, having recently moved to America, he “just got off the boat and still has salt on his skin.” But while the restaurant itself arrived only a few months back, thanks to polished service and perfectly executed plates, it feels incredibly established. Of course, it helps that this is chef-owner Gennaro DiBenedetto’s 10th restaurant (others include Bacco Italian+Wine Bar in Abingdon and Rockfish Grille in Chestertown). “I want this to be the best, my legacy,” says DiBenedetto.