Luigi's Bistro

Nestled at the end of Cherry Street near MLK Boulevard, Luigi’s Bistro works hard to bring a taste of Italy to Macon. Located on the lower level of the Southern United Building, Luigi’s is a great place to kick back and enjoy catching up with old friends and family. Just a few years ago, who would have thought downtown Macon would have become the home of an authentic Italian restaurant.

Luigi’s owner, Cesare Mammarella, was born in Italy’s eastern Abbruzzo region, and moved to the U.S. with his family when he was six years old. He graduated from the University of Hartford with a civil engineering degree, but has opted instead for a life in the restaurant business. He credits his mother’s excellent experience with cooking as his major source of culinary knowledge and accomplishments. 

His first restaurant, Cesare’s Corner Café, was located in the Atlanta area. After moving to Macon, he opened the upscale Tic-Toc Room, as well as Dea’s, a modern nightclub. Mammarella opened Luigi’s around five months ago, naming the bistro after his father. 

The chic décor features wooden-top tables with modern black steel chairs. Neutral colors surround the area to create a contemporary yet warm and inviting environment. Compelling blown-up black and white photographs of the Mammarella family’s life in Italy set the tone that this restaurant is a place to enjoy family and friends. For those who wish to dine outdoors, Luigi’s offers four small tables overlooking Cherry Street, complete with umbrellas to shield you from the hot, Georgia sun.

Although high chairs are available, Luigi’s does not have a children’s menu, but then neither do small bistros in Italy, for that matter. The idea here is to eat as a family unit just as if we were at our dining table at home. This is evidenced by the menu which largely consists of pasta and entree portions for two—or more. However, half orders for one are also available in case you’re dining alone. 

The menus provide entertainment with humorous comments such as, "I got your Emeril right here, baby." Many menu items are named after common Italian "names" such as Vinny, Big Petie, and Nonna. Chef Michel Wright’s enticing dinner dishes include Joey "Crumbs" Chicken Pasta Primavera, and Filetto con Gorgonzola. Dinner appetizers include choices such as everyday fried mozzarella, to the more sophisticated Fritto Misto Pepperonata—a mixture of calamari and shrimp, lightly battered, fried, and tossed with spicy cherry peppers. 

Luigi’s offers an appealing variety of lunch salads, including a warm chicken and asparagus salad as well as a filet mignon and Gorgonzola salad which consists of grilled filet mignon, mixed greens, tomatoes and served with a vinegarette. 

On a recent visit to Luigi’s at lunch, I opted for a Godfather sandwich, and chose pasta salad, fries, funyons, steamed veggies, and tater tots as sides. The Godfather, sliced turkey breast, tomato, and provolone cheese sandwich on a ciabata, arrived steaming hot. The tangy olive relish and cream cheese-based cherry pepper spread added a delightful taste. My only disappointment came when I received my funyons, which I had assumed to be thinly sliced onion rings. Imagine my surprise when our server brought me a bag of Funyons, the age-old, pre-packaged, fake onion rings! I highly recommend my sister’s choice, which was Mama’s Meatball Grinder. This specialty consisted of homemade meatballs, mozzarella cheese, and marina sauce served on a perfectly toasted Italian grinder. It was exceptional.

For dessert, we were pleased with the three-layer amaretto cheesecake. This slice of heaven is a concoction of cheesecake layered with amaretto, pistachio, and rum, garnished with strawberries… a blissful indulgence!