8 Best Italian Restaurants near Penn Valley

“OMG...I wish I could remember the young Man's name that worked the bar the day we were there for our Nephew's birthday party. He was wonderful. The whole staff was outstanding and the food was delightful!! If you are near Penn Valley please try this place . You won't regret it!!!“

“At our recent annual girls trip to Grass Valley's Cornish Christmas we enjoyed some dinner at Cirino's. Recommend reservations if you have 2 or more people, the bar seating is limited and usually full as I've noticed the last couple of trips up to GV. Early or late evening is not as busy. The waitress was very nice & we enjoyed the great booths which were semi-private. It's pretty loud but you don't really notice because everyone is in a good mood at Christmas time. On previous visits it's usually our go-to place for dinner or before/after drinks.“

“Such a nice Italian spot in Grass Valley! It was our first time eating here & we did a take out order. The restaurant itself is older but is really cute and you can tell they have put a lot of effort into authentic Italian art & decorations. It's sad that there wasn't anyone in there dining. I'm not sure if it was due to the weather but this place deserves more in person diners. Next time we will be dining in! The service was fast & they were all super nice. The food was amazing! Everything tastes very fresh and the quality is top tier. We could not stop being in awe on how delicious it all was. I would recommend giving them a try as your tastebuds will be really happy.“

“Just had a fantastic dinner. Tofanellis is always our go to place for brunch, but tonight we enjoyed a wonderful dinner. Great cocktails. Took a while to choose our entree from the delectable menu, and it was all delicious. Five star service, menu, and ambience.“

“It has been over a week and I still can't stop thinking about the meal I had at Cirinos. In fact, this is the first yelp review I have written in years and it is due to this that I am addressing you here, dear friend. As a fourth generation Italian-American who takes this food very seriously, Cirinos At Main Street is THE quintessential California Italian joint. Yes, there are more authentic regional Italian restaurants in California, but that is not what I am saying. If you want to taste the Italian Diaspora; have food like my great grandfather would have had when he got off work at the mines or after running a garbage route, Cirinos and places like it highlight a unique and almost wholly unexplored aspect of Italian, American, and California cuisine. I dont know how, but they somehow check every box for me: The casual low-lit ambiance that harkens back to so many now-lost (or gentrified) 70s legacy red sauce joints, but with a menu that spans folk-favorite influence from up-and-down the boot. Their Polenta and "Damn Hot" peppers brings me back to a summer BBQ with a Napolatano friend who taught me his Grandpa's method of frying polenta cakes, and they somehow managed to do the EXACT pairing that my great grandmother did with Pesto when she made pasta (Angel hair, always). The juniper pork steak reminded me so much of things my german/italian grandmother made, that it almost brought me back to Sunday dinner with the family up north again. I had it with the Orange sauce which was surprisingly savory and complemented everything very well. The bar area, with its fuss-free lodgy vibe and old school curtained booths is also reflective of the tradition of the old rural Italian social clubs that used to dot mountain towns in the northern reaches of California, now sadly also disappearing. I often say that some of the more casual and seemingly "Americanized" Italian spots are, in fact, the most authentic, because they actually reflect the diasporic region's Italian culture rather than trying to perfectly emulate an ideal, even if its not how your Nonna/Nonu did it. Thank you Cirinos for great food and great service; and thank you for keeping it real. I will be back. P.S. "Kiss" the cooks“

“My fiancé and I enjoyed a lovey dinner here. Bread is brought to you almost immediately after being seated. The large variety of gluten free options was amazing! A VERY traditional alfredo sauce that is actually GF! No flour needed when you know what you’re doing. I ordered the Scaloppine Marsala and it was DIVINE. Chicken so tender it melts in your mouth, delicious polenta and fresh veg, yum yum yum. Also almost immediately upon receiving our food fresh parmesan and cracked pepper was offered. We also had the panna cotta, the employee who took our dessert order also brought over some raspberry sauce without even asking because it was her favorite way to eat the panna cotta and boy was she right! Overall, a wonderful dinner for a decent price given the quality and quantity!Dietary restrictions: Wonderful with gluten allergy and accommodation. My celiac fiancé had no upset stomach at all!“

“Personable, with attention to details... it is obvious Enrique loves creating wonderful foods to experience! Nice staff, great food, reasonable prices... this is an up and coming success story in downtown Grass Valley! Enrique even went out of his way to gift a sweet treat to our beautiful birthday girl! We'll be back often! Four stars because we want to challenge Enrique to even greater culinary endeavors! Best wishes for your continued success!“

“To be fair, it does call itself a caffè, so maybe 3 stars for the atmosphere isn't enough. Very good food, nice presentation, generous portions and friendly wait staff. The chocolate mousse dessert is large enough to be shared. We plan to visit again.“