Italian Restaurant Casa Don Alfonso Offers a Taste of the Sorrento Coast

Chef Sergio Chierego, Chef de Cuisine at Casa Don Alfonso

Toasted ravioli, gooey butter cake, pork steaks, the St. Paul sandwich, and the slinger are part of the creative cuisine travelers will find served at restaurants when visiting St. Louis. And after a tough year in a post-COVID world, the city is about to see its food scene expand exponentially as several restaurants reopen and new ones open their doors for the first time, including the Italian restaurant, Casa Don Alfonso. 

Executive Chef Melissa Lee oversees all food and beverage for The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis.

Located at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, Casa Don Alfonso is the first U.S. venture for Italian restauranteur Mario Iaccarino. The new restaurant and bar pay homage to his father and chef, Alfonso, but it also pays homage to Don Alfonso 1890, their family-owned restaurant located in Sant’Agata, Italy. 

Located in The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, Casa Don Alfonso has counter-top and table-top seating underneath hand-blown glass wisteria chandeliers.

The more than 2,700 square-foot space has been transformed into a unique casual dining experience, transporting guests to Italy’s Campania region. From décor to food, Don Casa Alfonso is the fruition of the combined effort between Mario Iaccarino, Chef Melissa Lee (Executive Chef, The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis), and Chef Sergio Chierego (Chef de Cuisine). Even down to the Italian restaurant’s eye-catching décor that features a light purple color palette inspired by lavender fields found near the Iaccarino family’s flagship restaurant in Italy. 

Casa Don Alfonso Bar

Walking through the entrance, patrons will notice the mid-level bar with several expresso machines on the back counter. Grab a drink or cup of expresso here or proceed to the right to the kitchen, plenty of seating, and room for special events and celebrations. Guests can choose to sit at a table-top or at a booth under hand-blown glass wisteria chandeliers. Italian artistry is on display everywhere you turn – from the artwork created by family friend Anna Russo to the hand-painted backsplash tiles in the kitchen.

Casa Don Alfonso Kitchen

Copper accents in the bar and the reflective mirror-like ceiling above the open kitchen offer diners a clear vantage point to witness the chefs and staff at work, whether you choose to sit belly-up at the counter or really anywhere in the restaurant.  Watch as the chefs use fresh ingredients – similar to those harvested at the Iaccarino’s family farm – to meticulously prepared every dish, including the pasta to make Grandma’s Ziti. And from a few feet away, you can watch a one-of-a-kind machine make the dough used to create your Burrata Pizza. This is next-level culinary transparency on display for all to see.

Burrata Pizza

Not only does the restaurant’s ambiance transport guests to the Sorrento Coast, but its Mediterranean menu features traditional recipes passed down in the Iaccarino family for generations, including the Anti-Aging Lentil Soup. For your Antipasti & Da Convidere selections, consider starting with the Beef Carpaccio and the Farmer’s Board – Italian charcuterie, cheeses, and marinated vegetables. For an entrée, try the poached white fish prepared acqua-pazza style. The fish is wrapped in foil to soak up the delicious flavors of the vegetable brunoise, cherry tomatoes, and onions. 

Acqua-pazza style white fish wrapped in foil to soak in delicious flavors from the vegetable brunoise, tomatoes and onions.

Need to whet your palette? An on-site beverage expert will guide you on pairing each dish with something from the 3,000-bottle list or recommend a signature cocktail, such as the Amalfitana or Wisteria Skies, a tasty pink concoction made with Malfy Gin, Cocchi Americano, Blood Orange Syrup, Butterfly Pea, and Lemon Juice.  Both cocktails are available in a bottle if you want to grab one for a nightcap. Other recommended cocktails are the 163 – Prosecco, Limoncello, and Rosemary Syrup – and the Don Alfonso Expresso Martini – Stoli Vanilla, Kahlua, Don Alfonso Expresso Coffee. The latter cocktail was served with a 3-D print of one of my headshot photos, visible in the martini’s foam top.

Wisteria Skies Cocktail

To wrap up your six-course meal, consider the Pastiera, Caprese Cake, Sfogliatella, Gelato, the Lemon Delizia, or enjoy an Iced Coffee Shakerato, Spritzy Sorrento and Lavender Honey Mocha from the Expresso Bar.

The Sorrento Coast Lemon Delizia, Sfogliatella Napoletana Santa Rosa, and the Caprese Cake are a few options at the restaurant for dessert.

Dining at Don Casa Alfonso was a unique and creative culinary experience. Each course, carefully paired with the right wine or cocktail, not only transports guests to Italy, but also allows travelers the opportunity to taste authentic Italian cuisine without leaving the country.