An Italian cuisine collective consisting of three restaurants, including its branch on the outskirts of Rehoboth Beach, a bakery and delicatessen, Touch of Italy is operated by co-owners Bob Ciprietti and Joseph Curzi, who established the company to bring traditional Italian dining to the region and pay tribute to their Italian ancestry. The Rehoboth trattoria features a welcoming, stylish interior with a magnificent skylight, cozy communal tables and warm brick walls, while its menu features rich tried-and-tested family recipes like the much-raved about appetizer bocconcini con prosciutto.

Well of course you're going to stroll the boardwalk with a container of piping hot, perfectly greasy french fries!. Cooked in peanut oil, these hot potatoes have wowed regional beachgoers since 1929 – although truth be told they got their start in Ocean City, MD. Do we care?

But already it’s been a great time for Delaware’s geographically challenged diners: Touch of Italy, which has enthralled beachgoers at several locations for years, has established a northern outpost on Concord Pike. Café Azafrán, which vacated Lewes for Rehoboth after winning droves of fans, has unveiled a breakfast-and-lunch cafe in downtown Lewes called Olive & Oats, and, as mentioned above, Iron Hill has finally gone big at the beach after a 22-year wait. Upstate, the seemingly unstoppable delights of rotisserie-style Peruvian chicken have at last found a more refined and cozy expression at the alluring Pachamama on Newark’s Main Street.

We are committed fans of Touch of Italy, the place to pick up Italian grocery items like olives, authentic Italian meats and cheeses, as well as sweets like melt-in-your-mouth pignoli cookies and coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate. Subs brimming with cold cuts, meatballs, sundried tomatoes and the like come on fragrant semolina rolls that bring to mind Boston’s North End. The original owners have sold the business and opened up shop across the street as Frank & Louie’s Italian Specialties, turning Baltimore Avenue into a (very) Little Italy.

I team up with local restaurant chefs/owners to prepare and serve in-home dinners for charity to raise money for causes like Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth, Habitat for Humanity, Beebe Healthcare, the Harry K Foundation, and my own RehobothFoodie.com/Touch of Italy Culinary Scholarship Foundation for Delaware high school students. It's lots of fun – when I'm not out gathering info and photos at local eateries.

Little Italy meets the coast at these market/restaurants, where salamis hang above the deli and shelves are lined with dried pastas and olive oils. Gather antipasto fixings from cases brimming with Italian cheeses, cured meats, olives, and marinated vegetables, or grab fresh ravioli, house-made sauces, and ready-to-cook meatballs for dinner. Don’t feel like doing any work?

Touch of Italy has a special place in my heart (and on this list) as I worked here for a summer!. Regardless, it made this list as it is some of the best authentic Italian in the state. To start, you must try the polpette della mamma and rollatini di melanzane or the meatballs and rolled eggplant.

A go-to in either location, Touch of Italy of Lewes and Rehoboth Beach are well-known for all of their menu, not just their handmade pizza. While you’re there, order the calamari, and definitely sample their house made dessert. A “shoulder season” special is ½ price pasta on Wednesdays.

Touch of Italy (19724 Coastal Highway/Rt. 1): Downtown has an abundance of fine restaurants – but if you want a good wood-fired pizza, you’re going to have to get in your car. Luckily at Star of the Sea, a parking spot will be waiting for you when you return.

Touch of Italy - There will be multiple Italian places, but in my opinion Touch Of Italy is the best. Its located about a 10 minute drive from downtown Rehoboth, but its worth a visit. The Chicken Parmesan is one of the best chicken parmesan I've had.

Touch of Italy offers traditional Italian cooking, including pizzas, hero sandwiches, house-made mozzarella, and a full deli with ready-to-eat favorites. Perfect for family dinners, date nights, or casual dining in Rehoboth, Lewes, and Ocean City.

Touch of Italy on the Highway opened with great pomp & circumstance in mid-July 2013 in Shore Plaza, next door to Nage and directly across from Tanger Seaside Outlets. And in June 2014 the largest (so far) Touch of Italy … Continue reading →

Touch of Italy is the place to go for the authentic Italian experience, serving fresh ingredients as well as items imported from Italy.