During this week’s episode of Small Business Saturday Philadelphia, we sat down with Susan Dennis and Antonio Cardillo, co-owners of Ristorante Aroma.

Located at 11th and Pine in Philadelphia, Ristorante Aroma aims to introduce all of their customers to the true Italian way – enjoying life through food. If you’ve ever wondered what Italian food is like in the country where it originated, you can find it at Ristorante Aroma.

Ristorante Aroma – The Story

Ristorante Aroma opened its doors three years ago. The heart and soul of the restaurant is its food – handmade by Aroma’s head chef and co-owner, Tony.

Tony’s cooking journey started many years ago while he was still living in Italy. There, he was able to work under an amazing chef for 12 – 13 years, learning the ropes and honing his skills. Tony says that this decade was a lot of fun and some of the best years of his life.

Tony and this chef opened many restaurants throughout the years in New Jersey and Philadelphia. This man was like a second father to him – he wanted him at every one of his restaurant openings because he did not think that he could do it without him.

Tony and Susan met years ago at one of Tony’s other restaurants. Susan says that his food was the closest thing to real Italian food she has ever tasted. So, they decided to work together to open Ristorante Aroma and bring a taste of Italy to Philadelphia.

Opening the restaurant came natural to Tony. However, Susan was new to the restaurant business. She was able to quickly learn the ropes under Tony’s guidance.  They have been able to successfully gain traction for the business together over the past few years.

Can’t get enough of Italian food? Check out our friends at Joe’s Pizza and D’oliva Evoo Pizza & Grill.

Ristorante Aroma – The Food

At Ristorante Aroma, they create a warm, cozy, and inviting environment for everyone. The Ristorante Aroma team wants everyone to feel like family. Some of the crowd favorites on the menu include:

Pastas

Aroma only serves makes homemade Fettuccini, Gnocchi, Tortellini, and other delicious pasta dishes.

Fish

At Ristorante Aroma, they offer a whole fish dish. With this dish, chef Tony fillets the fish by covering it in salt and baking it to bring out the amazing flavors. The fish offered varies depending on what is fresh that day.

Mozzarella

Mozzarella is made fresh in the Ristorante Aroma kitchen. One of the best sellers for the hot, summer weather is Aroma’s Insalata Caprese.

Ristorante Aroma will also host or cater your next event! No matter the occasion, you can make the restaurant your next event’s venue.

Already have a venue? They still want to help you celebrate by bringing authentic Italian food to you!

You can also order their dishes to your door on Caviar!

For more information about Ristorante Aroma, check out their website at http://ristorantearomaphilly.com/ – You can also follow Ristorante Aroma on Facebook and Instagram.

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