Restaurants in Norwood

Aromas of roasting pine nuts, pesto sauces, and baking lasagna fill the air as chefs at Ferrari’s Little Italy and Bakery craft traditional Italian fare according to the owners' family recipes. They sprinkle the signature insalata Ferrari with cranberries, pine nuts, and gorgonzola cheese and top the pollo basilico's roasted chicken with rigatoni, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto cream sauce. Additionally, a pair of bakers slides around 150 loaves of fresh focaccia bread into their ovens each day, yielding slices topped with three colors of bell peppers, spinach, and gorgonzola cheese. These appear in glass bakery cases alongside pastries and artisan gelato from local dessert makers Madisono’s Gelato and Sorbet.

Inside Ferrari's multiple dining areas, gas fireplaces flicker among exposed-brick walls, and family photos help create a homey feel. On the outdoor patio, fragrant wisteria vines climb a wooden pergola, and a picturesque fountain quietly babbles recommendations from the wine list.

Mac's Pizza Pub supplies mozzarella monomaniacs with scrumptious pizzas and booze enthusiasts with a pirate's treasure cove of cold beers. Voyage into spicy-hot lands by ordering the Mac-Attack pizza, a pie of hot ground beef, jalapeños, double pepperoni, and cheese ($13.79 for 12-inch). Or, create your own cheese circle by artistically arranging toppings of your choice in the shape of a dinosaur or crossing guard. Mac's pours frothy mugs of Bar Harbor's Blueberry Ale and locally brewed Mt. Carmel Nut Brown Ale from the tap, and the extensive beer list boasts a solid selection of bottled brewskies.

At Roc-A-Fellas Pizza, chefs make the day's batch of dough from scratch and blend crushed tomatoes, garlic, sour cream, and Romano cheese into a tangy sauce. They take the traditional New York approach to pizza, hand-tossing the dough, dressing the crust with sauce and toppings, baking it in a stone oven, and branding the final product with a map of the subway system. They also whip up Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and homemade cookies. All proceeds go to Self-Sustaining Enterprises, an organization that fights domestic and international poverty.

At Cafe Mediterranean, chefs strew tender chunks of lamb and beef with ribbons of virgin olive oil and fragrant spices. The menu spotlights seasonal fruits and veggies, saving them from dull fates as still-life models. Though recipes hail from Egypt, Morocco, and Lebanon, Turkish cuisine proves the chief focus: Turkish spices grace the shish and doner kebabs, and specialty Turkish beverages such as ayran cleanse palates and grant a break from arduous chewing.

Gilpin's lets their diners do the work, but only when it comes to thinking up and naming each of the shop's steamed sandwiches. After that, the kitchen staff gets to work creating the menu's 70+ sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and hot dogs amid a casual atmosphere. It's so casual, in fact, that it's playful: the restaurant is outfitted with old school Nintendo, Atari, and PS2 systems. And though one isn't supposed to play with one's food, the chefs playfully fold their buttery breakfast croissants over piles of cooked eggs, turkey bacon, and pepper jack cheese.

During the afternoon and evening hours, the staff builds sandwiches on bialy bagels, pretzel buns, ciabatta bread, and gluten-free bread. They construct grilled cheeses from dill havarti and Doritos, pair veggies with hummus, and top piles of meats—from salami and bacon to roast beef—with hot sauce and garlic cream cheese. But sandwiches aren't the only food steamed by the team at Gilpins. To leave exteriors soft and the cheese perfectly melted, they also steam cheeseburgers, pizzas, and beef hot dogs. Gilpin's even incorporates food and beverages from many local suppliers, including coffee from Coffee Break Roasting Company—which, despite its name, does not send out comedians to make fun of employees during office hours.

At It’s Just Crepes, you’re encouraged to eat with your hands. That’s because every crepe on the menu is folded into what Soapbox Cincinnati calls "a convenient to-go style," eliminating the need for knives, forks, or tiny plate-side catapults. Instead, diners bite straight into the golden-brown bundles, which are stuffed with fillings both savory and sweet. The smoky BLT, for instance, oozes with pepperjack cheese and chipotle mayo, while sweet crepes pack in classic flavors such as Nutella, strawberries, and brown sugar. Utensils can come in handy, however, when attacking one of the eatery’s fresh salads, which meld fresh spinach, chopped romaine, and other greens with diced veggies, cheese, dried fruit, and slices of meats.

Co-owner Keven Paizannoglou founded the first It’s Just Crepes with his wife and partner, Karrah, after realizing how much he missed the crepes he’d enjoyed in his native Greece. Now, more than 20 employees serve up the delectable treats from three trendy dining spots decorated with blue and orange hues and contemporary white furnishings.