This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Rao's: Hollywood Is Getting Location of Popular NYC and Vegas Italian Restaurant
Rao's in NYC (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
It's no surprise that a New York-based restaurant with a kind of Hollywood pedigree is finally making it all the way out west and opening up right in the heart of--where else?--Hollywood. Rao's, which is co-owned by actor Frank Pellegrino of GoodFellas and The Sopranos fame, is expanding its reach from NYC and Las Vegas to the site of The Hollywood Canteen, with an anticipated late spring/early summer debut, according to their reps.
The restaurant is best known for their Southern Neapolitan Italian cuisine, including their lauded meatballs, as well as dishes that will be created just for the Hollywood outpost. Details about the chef and their menu will be announced later.
But Rao's isn't just a flash-in-the-pan kind of star-fueled eatery (though they are known for their celeb clientele in Vegas and NYC) since their history reaches back to 1896, when it was founded by Italian immigrant Charles Rao. Pellegrino took over the restaurant in 1999. The Vegas location opened in 2006, under the guidance of chef Carla Pellegrino, who appeared as a contestant on the most recent season of Top Chef.
Rao's Hollywood will serve dinner six days a week with indoor and outdoor seating.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
