{"id":325,"date":"2026-04-26T07:40:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T13:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=325"},"modified":"2026-04-30T10:14:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T16:14:04","slug":"luigi%e2%80%99s-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=325","title":{"rendered":"Luigi\u2019s Ristorante & Pizzeria – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Luigi’s Ristorante & Pizzeria, a Mainstay on 4th For Nearly Three Decades<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luigi’s is the eponymous brainchild of Luigi Napolitano whose very last name translates to citizen of Naples, the city from which his mother Tina emigrated more than four decades ago. Tina is the bread-baking, pasta-making dynamo in the kitchen and is also responsible for many of the restaurant’s homey touches.\u00a0 Tina painstakingly hand-sewed the delicate lace covering over each lamp (below) as well as the curtains over each booth.\u00a0 Other homey touches include viney plants hanging from pillars throughout the restaurant and a framed picture of the Mona Lisa hanging above the buffet.<\/p>\n

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The Familiar and Beckoning Signage for Luigi’s on 4th<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tina, a spry octogenarian, is one of the sweetest, kindest restaurateurs you could ever hope to meet.\u00a0 She’s cut down the hours she works and sometimes the volume of guests prevents her from leaving the kitchen to meet them, but if she makes her way to your table, you’re in for a treat.\u00a0 Tina is not only the restaurant’s best ambassador, she’s a wonderful ambassador for her homeland,\u00a0 She doesn’t return to Naples as often as she’d like, but her fondest wish is that everyone has the opportunity to visit Lo Stivale.\u00a0 She escorted me to a map on the wall and pointed out Naples then regaled me with tales of her childhood.\u00a0 Tina may remind you of your grandmother (provided you really loved your grandmother as I did).<\/p>\n

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Tina, The Heart and Soul of Luigi’s (Photo by Sabrina)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most eye-catching aspect of the restaurant isn’t the absence of the once well-provisioned buffet, but the charcoal murals on the wall, most of which depict Roman life in the days of gladiators, spas, arcades and colonnades.\u00a0 Not even\u00a0 the section of the mural depicting the archangel Michael doing battle with Lucifer is out of place (the original painting was completed by Italian renaissance artist Raphael.)\u00a0 Despite Tina’s homey touches and the intriguing mural work, Luigi’s does show signs of being timeworn, but in a comfortable sort of way.<\/p>\n

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One of Two Capacious Dining Rooms at Luigi’s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Practically from its inception in 1996, Luigi’s drew in teeming masses for its weekday lunch buffet and its Friday night seafood buffet.\u00a0 \u00a0That buffet is no more, courtesy of the Cabrona virus<\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 Now, an Italian restaurant couldn’t possibly be good if it offers a dinner buffet, right? After experiencing Luigi’s rendition of a buffet, you might change your mind. That seems to be especially true of the Friday night seafood buffet which was extremely popular. Having lived near the water in Massachusetts and Mississippi, the seafood buffet wasn’t something we frequented, but it was worth trying once.<\/p>\n

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Charcoal Image of The Coliseum in Rome<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luigi’s bountiful seafood buffet included mussels, crab claws, baby clams, fried calamari, boiled shrimp, fried shrimp and other fruits of the sea. None of the crustacean offerings were as sizable as you might find at a casino buffet, but they were better prepared and seasoned nicely. The calamari was onion ring sized and chewy, not top tier but not bad either. Luigi’s clam chowder was better than you might prepare out of a can, but not of New England quality (in New Mexico, what is?). Though the Friday seafood buffet is no longer offered, the menu does offer a number of seafood items.<\/p>\n

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Fantastic Server Sabrina Delivers Pistachio Cheesecake to our Table<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pasta and seafood entrees are served with your choice of soup or salad and bread.\u00a0 The bread is crusty and delicious, a perfect canvas for the terrific garlic butter with which it is served or with the olive-oil and seasonings blend also provided.\u00a0 Salads (iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, croutons) are served with your choice of dressing.\u00a0 Though denizens of the Duke City have been spoiled by tolerably warm weather virtually all year round, you’ll be grateful for a change of season when that means you can have a bowl or three of Luigi’s minestrone, Italian wedding soup or green chile chicken soup<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 All are heart-warming and delicious. My favorite is the green chile chicken soup which is not especially piquant, but it’ll make you celebrate cold weather.\u00a0 It’s a creamy soup that envelops you like a mother’s love.<\/p>\n

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Bread with Garlic Butter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

26 April 2026<\/strong>:\u00a0 For as long as I can remember, the only pronounciation I can remember anyone using for the “fagioli<\/em>” portion of pasta fagioli is “fazool<\/em>.”\u00a0 That Americanized name actually stems from a Neapolitan dialect.\u00a0 The appropriate pronounciation is actually “fah-JOH-lee.”\u00a0 Whether you use the correct pronounciation or the Neapolitan version, you’ll likely be understood.\u00a0 If pasta pagioli is served at Luigi’s, it’s a must order item.\u00a0 It’s quite simply the very best pasta fagioli<\/strong><\/em> I’ve ever had–better even than at some four-star Italian restaurants in Chicago and Boston.\u00a0 Pasta Fagioli is a traditional, hearty Italian peasant-style soup or stew made with simple ingredients like small pasta (ditalini), beans (cannellini or borlotti), vegetables, and broth.\u00a0 Give me the peasant lifestyle if it means more pasta fagioli like Luigi makes it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Salad and Green Chile Chicken Soup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While the seafood buffet may not have possessed the boatload of deliciousness I crave from seafood, Luigi’s Frutta Di Mare<\/strong>,<\/em> does.\u00a0 A mixed seafood (shrimp, crab claws, clams, mussels and squid) medley over linguine with your choice of a red or white sauce, the name of this dish translates to “fruit of the sea<\/em>.”\u00a0 That’s an appropriate name considering not only the bounty of sea-birthed ingredients, but the way they’re prepared.\u00a0 The seafood is sweet and succulent, a perfect foil for the red sauce.<\/p>\n

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Pasta Fagioli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luigi’s offers several seafood selections including one sure to appeal to New Mexicans who believe pain is a flavor and who like our food to bite back.\u00a0 It’s the Shrimp Fra Diavalo<\/em><\/strong>, shrimp in a spicy garlic sauce served over a bed of linguine.\u00a0 The menu describes it as “HOT!”\u00a0 The term “Fra Diavalo” translates to “Brother Devil<\/em>” in recognition of its tomato-based sauce which employs hot peppers (maybe Cayenne) in its flavor profile.\u00a0 It’s one of those dishes that red or green chile wouldn’t improve; they’re not the type of pepper which makes this entree good.<\/p>\n

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Green Chile Chicken Lasagna with a Bechemel Sauce<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you do want green chile on your entree, it’s available in the green chile chicken lasagna<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Alas, the green chile is almost decorative, or more appropriately garnish-like, for its lack of piquancy.\u00a0 Come on, this is New Mexico!\u00a0 The layers of pasta, rich bechamel sauce and molten cheese blanketing the lasagna are quite good, but the entire dish would have been much more flavorful with a fennel-kissed Italian sausage or even ground beef.\u00a0 Chicken, even well-prepared breast meat, is one of the most boring proteins on any entree (probably my opinion alone).\u00a0 Sure it might make you feel good about not eating a more fattening meat, but there’s not much you can do to improve its blandish flavor profile.<\/p>\n

15 November 2024:\u00a0 <\/strong>According to Statista<\/strong><\/a>, a food and beverage site, the most popular Italian dish in the United States for 2024 was lasagna.\u00a0\u00a0About 83 percent of respondents had a positive opinion of the dish. In second place was spaghetti with meatballs with 79 percent.\u00a0 Luigi’s is one of the few restaurants to offer true lasagna variety, proffering four different lasagna dishes:\u00a0 the aforementioned green chile chicken lasagna with a bechamel sauce, meat lasagna, spinach lasagna and crab lasagna made with real crab.<\/p>\n

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Crab Lasagna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I jokingly asked our Avelina, our server if the crab lasagna<\/strong><\/em> was as crabby as Luigi, who’s actually a very nice guy.\u00a0 She described it as “crabby and cheesy<\/em>” (or was she talking about Luigi?) and\u00a0 recommended it highly.\u00a0 There is indeed a plenitude of crab and a copious amount of melty, stringy cheese in this dish, making it one of the richest dishes you can have at an Italian restaurant.\u00a0 It’s so rich in fact that you might not wish to finish it in one sitting, but so good you probably will.\u00a0 Statista did not offer a separate rating category for crab lasagna, but suspect Luigi’s version would receive close to a one-hundred percent approval rate.\u00a0 It’s simply magnificent!<\/p>\n

Other pasta entrees are available with a variety of sauces: marinara, pesto, meat, Alfredo, mushroom, carbonara and even a rich broccoli cream sauce maybe even George W. Bush would like (he of the quote “I do not like broccoli and I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it.\u00a0 And I’m President of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli<\/em>.”)\u00a0 A number of hot and cold sandwiches are available as is a varied selection of domestic and imported beers as well as margaritas and wine.<\/p>\n

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Combo Pizza Sicilian Style<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8 September 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 Before returning to Luigi’s after a fourteen year absence, I perused Yelp.\u00a0 That’s always a risky, unpredictable proposition.\u00a0 While some diners raved about Luigi’s fabulous fare, others blasted the restaurant.\u00a0 Executing a “by rating” filter helped.\u00a0 Being a glass is half-full guy, I focused on the five-star reviews, those written by other diners who also focus on all that’s good in a dining experience.\u00a0 The one-star ratings mostly provide comic relief.\u00a0 Many of the four- and five-star reviews waxed poetic about the pasta, but the overwhelming favorite seemed to be Luigi’s pizza.<\/p>\n

Luigi’s has a formidable pizza menu.\u00a0 Each pizza is hand-tossed by Luigi himself.\u00a0 Available in small, medium, large and Sicilian sizes, pizzas can be crafted from your choice of thirteen items.\u00a0 \u00a0There’s also a “Gourmet Pizza” section to the menu which includes the aforementioned carne adovada pizza.\u00a0 Sicilian style pizza, a thick-crusted, rectangular pie is my favorite.\u00a0 It’s the antithesis of the supermodel thin pies that have found favor in America.\u00a0 What distinguishes Luigi’s from others is just how fabulous the crust is.\u00a0 It’s like freshly baked bread with crispy edges.\u00a0 A combo pizza<\/strong><\/em> features pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, mushrooms, onions and green peppers.\u00a0 You probably won’t be able to eat more than one or two slices, but you’ll enjoy every bite.<\/p>\n

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Carne Adovada Pizza, The Best in the World<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2 November 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 One of several atypical Italian offerings on Luigi’s menu is a carne adovada pizza<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Pizza has become a virtual canvas on which pizza artisans paint with a broad brush, the more creative the ingredients, the better.\u00a0 There is virtually no sacred cow, no time-honored traditions left.\u00a0 When it comes to pizza, anything goes.\u00a0 Still, carne adovada pizza is one of those things that will have you doing a double-take.\u00a0 Even as you’re eating it and proclaiming it delicious, you’ll be questioning the propriety of this unique pizza…and it is a delicious pizza.\u00a0 I asked Tina what pizza aficionados in Naples would think of carne adovada pizza.\u00a0 She confidently told me “they would love it<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

The crust, in particular, is wonderful with a very out-of-the-oven, yeasty bread aroma and texture.\u00a0 It has just a hint of char on a crispy crust replete in its outside edges with those airy holes that seem part and parcel of most good, thick pizzas.\u00a0 The carne adovada itself has a chile marinated flavor with just a hint of piquancy.\u00a0 It’s strewn across the pizza in small shredded pieces then topped with a cheese blend from which bits of the carne peek out.\u00a0 If carne adovada is too outlandish for your pizza, the menu has several other options, including gluten-free pizza.\u00a0 Order the carne adovada pizza and you might just have a hard time thinking about ordering anything else.\u00a0 It’s one of the five best pizzas in New Mexico.<\/p>\n

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Luigi’s Signature Pizza (Deep-Fried Pizza Crust) (Photo by Sabrina)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

14 December 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 One definition of “signature” is “something (such as a tune, style, or logo) that serves to set apart or identify.”\u00a0 When you espy “Luigi’s Signature Pizza<\/strong><\/em>” on the menu, you can rest assured it stands apart and it stands alone.\u00a0 That signature pie is a deep-fried pizza crust baked with sauce, artichokes, prosciutto and cheese.\u00a0 The pizza crust is deep-fried to give it a wonderful crispy texture unlike any pizza in the metropolitan area.\u00a0 Then ingredients are added and the pizza is baked to absolute perfection.\u00a0 Artichokes and prosciutto aren’t the most common ingredients you’ll find on a pizza, but they go very well together.\u00a0 The prosciutto is a bit on the thick side as prosciutto goes (sometimes prosciutto can be whisper-thin).\u00a0 Ingredients are generously distributed throughout the pizza.\u00a0 Coupled with that crispy crust, it’s a pizza you’ll remember for a long time.\u00a0 Alas, it’s only available in “small” size though Luigi’s small is bigger than some pizzeria’s large.<\/p>\n

8 September 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 As oft mentioned (but never lamented) on this blog, many restaurant menus include a charcuterie plate.\u00a0 \u00a0Old-fashioned, unpretentious Italian restaurant standards like Luigi’s and Sal’s Ristorante and Pizzeria<\/strong><\/a> offer antipasto instead.\u00a0 Luigi’s antipasto misti<\/strong><\/em> listing on the menu doesn’t brag about its “imported cheeses and cured meats.”\u00a0 This antipasto is described as “mixed cold cuts over a bed of lettuce<\/em>.”\u00a0 Those of us who grew up enjoying cold cuts will love this plate.\u00a0 Mixed cold cuts include salami, ham, prosciutto, provolone and olives with a side of Italian dressing.\u00a0 \u00a0Sit in the back dining room and you can even watch NFL games while you nosh.\u00a0 For what more can you ask.<\/p>\n

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Antipasto Misti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2 November 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 In the 1986 Nora Ephron movie Heartburn<\/em>, Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep enjoyed a post-lovemaking spaghetti carbonara in bed.\u00a0 Nicholson’s character declared \u201cThis is the best spaghetti carbonara I\u2019ve ever had. When we\u2019re married, I want this once a week<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0Spaghetti carbonara<\/strong><\/em> is one of my very favorite Italian dishes though it’s often so rich and creamy that once a week would be too much.\u00a0 Nor can I ever finish an order in one sitting.\u00a0 My Kim can’t either–so she usually has enough left over for another full meal.\u00a0 As is the case with many Italian pasta dishes, Luigi’s spaghetti carbonara (cream sauce made with pepper, bacon and Parmesan cheese) is even better the next day when the cream sauce has fully penetrated every strand of spaghetti.<\/p>\n

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Spaghetti Carbonara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8 February 2025:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>I wouldn’t be much of a critic if all I ever ordered at Luigi’s was the pizza.\u00a0 Tempting though it might be to enjoy another pizza, I ventured of my addictive comfort zone and ordered Luigi’s penne with a mushroom red sauce<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Penne is my very favorite of all Italian pastas because it’s easy to eat (it doesnt require the dexterity\u00a0 and twisty twirling of spaghetti).\u00a0 \u00a0Luigi prepares an outstanding al dente version of penne, but it’s the mushrooms that will get your rapt attention.\u00a0 These are not mushrooms out-of-a-can.\u00a0 They’re fresh mushrooms sliced on the premises. Served with just enough red sauce to allow the mushrooms to shine, this dish is more proof that Luigi can do no wrong.\u00a0 Oh, and in the spirit of full disclosure, my Kim ordered Luigi’s signature pizza and since she can’t eat it all….<\/p>\n

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Penne With Mushroom Red Sauce<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

26 April 2026:\u00a0 <\/strong>Luigi’s menu includes four veal dishes: veal parmigiana, veal scaloppine picante, veal marsala and veal picatta all served with a side of pasta.\u00a0 \u00a0In the mood for veal parmigiana, but also craving something piquant, I asked Sabrina if Luigi could prepare veal parmigiana with the picante sauce used on the veal scaloppine.\u00a0 In essence, veal parmigiana picante<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Luigi aims to please.\u00a0 His picante sauce is made from dried chili flakes (probably Calabrian) heated in extra virgin olive oil.\u00a0 It’s got as much heat as some New Mexican red chile.\u00a0 That sauce marries terrifically with the creamy, melty mozzarella and breaded veal.\u00a0 The veal is tender, moist and delicious.\u00a0 It’s veal parmigiana to the nth degree.\u00a0 The picante sauce was excellent on the accompanying pasta, too.<\/p>\n

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Veal Parmigiana Picante with A Side of Pasta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8 September 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 A panacea of Italian dessert favorites is available for diners with a sweet, but not too sweet, tooth.\u00a0 That means tiramisu<\/em><\/strong> that doesn’t taste like a cloying pudding.\u00a0 The tiramisu, served in a small bowl, is made with ladyfingers and is redolent with espresso, not quite enough for me, but sure to please most coffee lovers.\u00a0 Cannoli<\/strong><\/em>, the wonderful Sicilian tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough stuffed with a sweet, creamy Ricotta cheese-based filling are also available, including a chocolate cannoli.\u00a0 Lightly dusted with confectioner’s sugar, the cannoli is quite good.<\/p>\n

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Spumoni and Cannoli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2 November 2024<\/strong>: As mischievous bairns, my brothers and I would often share one of our mom’s wonderful pumpkin pies then leave the pie tin in our sisters’ room so they would be implicated in the pumpkin pie pilferage.\u00a0 Her pumpkin pies remain the standard.\u00a0 Not only are they the best (by far) I’ve ever had, they’ve virtually ruined all other pumpkin pies for me.\u00a0 Only Luigi’s pumpkin cheesecake<\/strong><\/em> comes close to mom’s.\u00a0\u00a0Every slice is thick, dense and tall.\u00a0 Though easily big enough for two, it’s so good you might not want to share.\u00a0 My Kim declared it “the best pumpkin cheesecake I’ve ever had<\/em>.”\u00a0 That’s my verdict as well.<\/p>\n

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Pumpkin Cheesecake, The Best Ever!!!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2 November 2024<\/strong>: Earlier in this essay, I mentioned the homey touches of the restaurant’s decor.\u00a0 Homey would also describe the service at Luigi’s.\u00a0 The wait staff is personable and attentive without hovering over you while you’re trying to eat.\u00a0 The first time we met her, Sabrina, our gregarious server for\u00a0 three of our 2024 visits should have worn a big red letter “S” on her chest for the way she simultaneously took care of sixteen tables–professional service with a smile, too.\u00a0 On a Sunday when no other server showed up for work, she managed to keep everyone happy.\u00a0 She’s come to know us pretty well.\u00a0 When I expressed curiosity about other cheesecakes on the menu, she brought a thick slice of pistachio cheesecake<\/strong><\/em> to our table.\u00a0 Obviously she knew I wouldn’t be able to resist it.<\/p>\n

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Cheesecake with Caramel Topping and Tiramisu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8 February 2025<\/strong>:\u00a0 As Luigi’s dessert-making dynamo, Tina admits her memory isn’t what it used to be but she never forgets how to bake.\u00a0 She does it better than just about anyone we know.\u00a0 Though my Kim’s favorite dessert, the pumpkin cheesecake<\/strong><\/em>, is a seasonal offering, there’s so much to love on the dessert menu that she won’t go without her cherished post-prandial sweet treat.\u00a0 Sabrina explained just how flexible the cheesecake can be.\u00a0 She told us it can be topped with a strawberry glaze, maraschino cherries, caramel sauce or chocolate sauce.\u00a0 While my choice would probably have been “all the above,” my Kim wanted only the caramel sauce.\u00a0 Needless to say, it was fantastic!<\/p>\n

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Spumoni<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luigi’s menu breaks up the spelling “tira mi su” for the Italian term which means “cheer me up” or “pick me up.”\u00a0 Actually, Luigi’s version should be spelled “Tina mi su” in honor of its creator, the wonderful Tina.\u00a0 This tina mi su<\/strong><\/em> is fabulous! Layers of cappuccino-soaked ladyfingers line the rim of the cup in which the tina mi su is served.\u00a0 A smooth and silky filling drizzled with cocoa and whipped cream makes it a classic Italian dessert, one you’ll remember for a long time.\u00a0 Sabrina recommends it highly and when she speaks, savvy diners know we should listen attentively.<\/p>\n

Luigi’s Restaurant & Pizzeria in Albuquerque celebrated its 30th anniversary on <\/span>April 8, 2026. It’s survived in a relatively inconspicuous facade on Fourth Street because it continues serving good portions, reasonable prices, excellent service and a diverse menu.<\/p>\n

Luigi\u2019s Ristorante & Pizzeria<\/strong>
\n6225 4th Street, N.W.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 343-0466
\nWeb Site<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 26 April 2026
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 9
\nRATING<\/strong>: Excellent<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u2013 High quality dining experience; very good to excellent food, attentive service, and a well-maintained atmosphere; worth a detour.
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Clam Chowder, Cannoli, Tiramisu, Carne Adovada Pizza, Combo Pizza, Antipasto Misti, Spumoni, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Spaghetti Carbonara, Crab Lasagna, Luigi’s Signature Pizza, Pistachio Cheesecake, Green Chile Chicken Soup, Tira mi su, Penne With Mushroom Red Sauce, Veal Parmigiana Picante,<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Luigi’s is the eponymous brainchild of Luigi Napolitano whose very last name translates to citizen of Naples, the city from which his mother Tina emigrated more than four decades ago. Tina is the bread-baking, pasta-making dynamo in the kitchen and is also responsible for many of the restaurant’s homey touches.\u00a0 Tina painstakingly hand-sewed the delicate lace covering over each lamp (below) as well as the curtains over each booth.\u00a0 Other homey touches include viney plants hanging from pillars throughout the restaurant and a framed picture of the Mona Lisa hanging above the buffet. Tina, a spry octogenarian, is one of the sweetest, kindest restaurateurs you could ever hope to meet.\u00a0 She’s cut down the hours she works and sometimes the volume of guests prevents her from leaving the kitchen to meet them, but if she makes her way to your table, you’re in for a treat.\u00a0 Tina is not only the restaurant’s best ambassador, she’s a wonderful ambassador for her homeland,\u00a0 She doesn’t return to Naples as often as she’d like, but her fondest wish is that everyone has the opportunity to visit Lo Stivale.\u00a0 She escorted me to a map on the wall and pointed out Naples then regaled…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":80619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,71,141,68,563],"tags":[4328,4554,4329,2370,4326,4332,1172,4327,4489,4335,4333,4330,4551,4705,4552,2178,4553,4334,4467,1514,4331,4704,2523,5694],"class_list":["post-325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-italian","category-new-mexico","category-pizza","category-rating-excellent","tag-antipasto-misti","tag-avelina","tag-braciole","tag-cannoli","tag-carne-adovada-pizza","tag-charcoal-murals","tag-clam-chowder","tag-combo-pizza","tag-crab-lasagna","tag-green-chile-chicken-lasagna","tag-launched-in-1996","tag-luigi-napolitano","tag-luigis-signature-pizza","tag-penne-with-mushroom-red-sauce","tag-pistachio-cheesecake","tag-pumpkin-cheesecake","tag-sabrina","tag-shrimp-fra-diavalo","tag-spaghetti-carbonara","tag-spumoni","tag-tina-napolitano","tag-tira-mi-su","tag-tiramisu","tag-veal-parmigiana-picante"],"yoast_head":"\nLuigi\u2019s Ristorante & Pizzeria - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=325\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Luigi\u2019s Ristorante & Pizzeria - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Luigi’s is the eponymous brainchild of Luigi Napolitano whose very last name translates to citizen of Naples, the city from which his mother Tina emigrated more than four decades ago. Tina is the bread-baking, pasta-making dynamo in the kitchen and is also responsible for many of the restaurant’s homey touches.\u00a0 Tina painstakingly hand-sewed the delicate lace covering over each lamp (below) as well as the curtains over each booth.\u00a0 Other homey touches include viney plants hanging from pillars throughout the restaurant and a framed picture of the Mona Lisa hanging above the buffet. 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