Cunetto House of Pasta is an icon of Italian-American cuisine on The Hill

With its mountains of red sauce pasta, endless small glasses of table wine, big tables of families and bustling service, Cunetto House of Pasta at 5453 Magnolia Ave., is like an avatar of The Hill itself. It’s been in the same space ever since brothers Vince and Joe Cunetto opened the Italian restaurant in 1974. 

Their crab, clam and shrimp-based linguini tutto mare has been a best-selling dish since the early days, while the newer, meat-filled tortellini bianco has also proved to be a massive hit. Vince’s son, Frank Cunetto, was quick to specify that by “new,” he meant it’s only been on the menu for “20 or 25 years.” 

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Frank now owns and operates the place, and attributes its success to the stability of The Hill – its vast network of close-knit residents and small business. Cunetto has been around for almost half a century, but it never gets boring. 

“Every day is something different,” Frank said. “You run into characters. Every day it’s a whole new experience. We’ve had celebrities over the years; we’ve had scammers. It’s kind of fun.” 

Adam Rothbarth is a staff writer at Sauce Magazine.