The food was delicious from salad to dessert! Creative serving of classic Caesar salad! Main course was amazing with the homemade pasta! A bit loud but the outside deck is perfect! And service with a smile! read more

Slice Mob made another stop today, this time at Mangia Mi in Sandy Hook. What a great afternoon. From the minute we walked in, Chef Rebecca came over and welcomed all of us. You could tell right away this wasn't just another restaurant. It's her place, and she's proud of it. I really liked the vibe. Big open dining room, an open kitchen where you can watch everything being made, and family pictures all over the walls. It just feels comfortable. The pizza is New Haven-style apizza. The tomato pie was excellent. The San Marzano tomatoes really stand out. Nice fresh tomato flavor, a great bake, plenty of crunch, and a finishing dusting of grated cheese that pulled it all together without getting in the way. The cheese pizza was exactly what a cheese pizza should be. Sometimes the simplest pie tells you the most about a pizzeria, and this one didn't disappoint. My favorite was Donnie's Hot Pepper & Mushroom. The peppers brought just enough heat without taking over. The mushrooms added a nice earthy flavor that balanced everything out. Every bite just worked. One thing that stood out was that everything is made from scratch. You can taste it. Nothing felt like it came out of a bag or was rushed. Mangia Mi is the kind of place you leave already thinking about what you're ordering next time. We only scratched the surface today. I definitely want to come back and work my way through more of the pizzas, fresh pastas, seafood, and whatever specials Chef Rebecca is putting together. Thanks to Chef Rebecca and her team for taking such good care of the Slice Mob. We'll be back. read more

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A little hidden gem in an unexpected location. We missed the place all together and had to reroute. Doesn't feel like you are going to a restaurant because it's in a residential complex. Upon entering, you are hit with aromas of deliciousness. The boards around the dining room are creativity written dishes from the menu. The courses were large and had seconds to enjoy again. Everything was yummy from drinks for dessert. Services was wonderful and all around a great find. Felt like you were enjoying a home cooked meal in someone's house. read more

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I was excited have lunch with a group of friends today, I actually remembered when Chef Rebecca was on Cooks vs Cons and didn't realize she had come home to Connecticut. I had a little bit of everything, but the two standouts for me were the meatball small small plate and the wild mushroom white pie (thanks Marty!) I brought an order of meatballs home for my wife to enjoy as she couldn't join us, and they were every bit as good. I'm regretting not taking a wild mushroom pie for the road, but we plan to return soon for dinner. Worth the drive from Cromwell, and I'm not one to just jump in a car and drive an hour these days. Thank you for a great experience! read more

Nice little spot towards the Silver Bridge in Sandy Hook. Nice set up for intimate dinners as well as groups. Beer list is a little limited, but usually something good. Had the lasagna which was great. The focaccia bread is really nice and worth the price as an appetizer. Staff were very nice and able to help out with some allergy concerns. Looking forward to going back. read more

Great food with great service and reasonable prices. We will definitely go back. We will recommend this place to our family and friends.

We decided last minute to go for dinner and check out the place, as we had been hearing good things about it. We were pleasantly surprised to learn we could eat on the patio, and there was live music! I ordered the shrimp scampi which was delicious, the house made fettuccine was so tender. We also got the Bolognese which was scrumptious. Our server was fun. I poked my head in the open kitchen to thank the owner Rebecca for a pleasantly surprising experience. We will definitely go again!! Mangia! read more

mangia mi east - Shrimp scampi and Bolognese. - Italian Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

This restaurant was such a lovely experience! The ambience, the staff, the food, the drinks, the music. It has it all!!! We started with the fried provolone which was wonderfully flavorful and crispy. The dipping sauce was fantastic, we devoured it. I ordered the lasagna and I have to say that it was probably one of the best lasagnas I've had. The homemade pasta was excellent, the sauce is on point, and overall just really beautifully flavorful dish. My boyfriend had Mikey's mambo Italiano pizza and absolutely devoured it. Some friends enjoyed other pizzas and we all shared a little bit of everybody's dishes... everything was fantastic. One of our friends had the shrimp and while I don't eat seafood, everybody was talking about how amazing it was. Highly recommend this beautiful restaurant! Can't wait to go back! The staff was so friendly and personable and caring! read more

We had heard the hype in town and have waited to come- but I now question WHY? Well it was a mistake and one we won't make again. Mangia Mi East- what a lovely addition to the Newtown restaurant scene. It is homey, it is cute, it is comfortable, it is it all THAT and THEN SOME. Our family of four made reservations for a Saturday early dinner to get in before the real rush. Although it got busy quickly. Service by our waitress and all other staff was extremely friendly, prompt, and helpful. Really neat cocktail menu all spring cocktails named after Billy Joel songs- cool! We got the Big Shot cocktail which was like a Manhattan but sooo much better, balanced, and strong. Loved it- will be getting again! The food- what is there to say other than exceptional. You have to get the focaccia bread to start, so good. Dare I say I am not a huge "bread" fan and yet I easily devoured it. We also got the meatballs and a spinach salad to start. The red sauce is soooo good, meatballs melted in your mouth. Salad- they did not skimp on the Gorgonzola or walnuts and nicely dressed. Entrees were equally wonderful from the cheese pizza (holy cheese goodness) to chicken Parmesan, and fettuccine Alfredo. Too full for dessert but many to choose and sounded amazing. So so happy we finally came and we are already planning our next meal with more family to join! read more

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5 out of 6 of us weren't thrilled with our food. I've been to Italy several times and this was mediocre at best! Meatballs over spiced and my bowl of pasta was so greasy. Olive oil should compliment it not drown in it. Oh and don't forget the $5 sodas and no refills. Ridiculous considering the amount of $ spent on our meals. Don't be fooled by the beautiful photos. read more

Super expensive and not worth it at all. Salads were basic and not worth the price. Noodles were overcooked, sauces were over flavored, chicken was tough, tiramisu was not creamy and tasted too strongly of liquor. I do not recommend. Two stars because the waitstaff is nice. read more

People are quick to complain when food takes time. Sometimes slowing down is the whole point. At Mangia Mi the food is absolutely worth it. There isn't a large kitchen packed with cooks turning out rushed plates. It's one chef, in an open kitchen making dishes to order with fresh homemade pasta, right in front of you. You can literally watch the creation from the bar. Three simmering pots lined up in red, white and green (nod to flag) and an incredibly talented chef orchestrating it all. That's what makes it so special. Brava Chef Rebecca. read more

Lets begin with the wrongs. The parking situation for now - Not good. The restaurant shares their parking lot with condos I was told by the hostess that they are in the process of building more parking hopefully thats finished soon. My husband dropped me off and parked down in the new parking area before the Foundry. The next real bummer no crispy on the outside soft on the inside bread on the table. Focaccia is on the menu but to buy. I would have even taken that on the table. The young staff were AMAZING - welcoming, and patient. The decor is really cute with some fun paintings. They offer a unique charcuterie board with meats, cheeses, peppers, olives etc. You have the option to pick 3 or 6 options. We decided to go with a small plate or fried calamari with banana peppers. The calamari had big, nicely breaded rings. The banana peppers were cut really thin so all could enjoy them. For my meal I went with Alfredo sauce it was very good and not overly rich. Our tagliatelle pasta was amazing - long and delicious. The Sunday sauce my husband had with his meal - a meatball or two, sausage and pork shoulder. All the meats were tender and flavorful. If I had a Nonny / Nonnie I would imagine thats what her sauce would taste like. Im thinking about it right now to close out Elly's Chocolate cake. We were served a generous piece. The icing was so very creamy. The cake was melt in your mouth soft. The perfect way to end our meal. read more

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Can't beat a mid week happy hour! Disappointed to see the pricing go up, we appreciate the authenticity of each dish but are still happy to be able to support local. read more

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Absolutely wonderful! Head chef and owner Rebecca White stopped at the table and visited and what a great and inspirational success story. A woman who had a vision and made it happen. My companion was in for her fifth visit. She's bringing all of her out of town guests. We started with well made cocktails (the list is pretty awesome), peach burrata crostini and the eggplant stack. Followed with fresh pasta tagliatelle, Alfredo sauce, fresh mushrooms, peas, and pancetta (a much smoother version carbonara). Pasta bolognese was outstanding. Portions are nice size, we took home leftovers. Looking forward to the pizza next time. read more

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Visited this restaurant for the first time tonight.... I was absolutely blown away with the food. The service was fantastic (sat at the bar) I can't emphasize enough how incredibly beautiful the restaurant is I would beyond a doubt recommend this to anyone that was to be treated to a phenomenal experience read more

Lovely new Italian restaurant with friendly staff. Food was fresh and flavorful. Pasta tagliatelle was very saucy and tasty. The pancetta was super flavorful. Tasted like my mom's a ham with cloves. Lots of mushrooms and plenty of peas. Eggplant parm was saucy and tomatoey. Pizza is Nee Haven style but felt more heavier than actual NewHaven. Everything came out nice and hot and good comfort food on a cold day. Loud and lively music played from 80s. Give it a try if you are in the area. read more

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We were really hoping that this was going to be our new favorite place - unfortunately that won't be the case. We started with meatballs ...$18 for 3 meatballs. They were cold. After sending them back - they came out for 2nd time warm (not hot). The meatballs were ok but the sauce was an over cooked / burnt taste. Our Caesar salad was super awkward. Huge whole ribs of Romain lettuce on a platter. We were given tiny plates ( saucer size) so the lettuce hung over the plate in to the table. When I asked if we could have larger plates I was told they didn't have anything larger. When I questioned that they didn't have any larger plates to eat off of in the restaurant, we were given shallow bowls that also didn't fit a length of the lettuce. For our entree we had a chicken parm dinner that was fairly expensive considering it didn't come with pasta ($28). Just sloppy, slightly burnt chicken parm in a small oval casserole dish. A side of pasta is $10. It was a fairly small serving and a weird gummy texture. We love fresh pasta and are familiar with different texture. This was not that ! This was closer to wallpaper paste. chicken parm with pasta @ $38 is a NYC price so it better be good. It wasn't . Being fans of New Haven style pizza , we also ordered a pizza. It was also a disappointment. It was sloppy, saucy and burnt (not charred). As for the ambiance - it feels more like a deli or a breakfast spot. The decor absolutely doesn't match the price point. Positives : the house red wine was good. Our waitress was friendly. With so many great options in town we won't be back anytime soon ( or ever). read more

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We had an amazing anniversary dinner last night at Mangia Mi East . The food and staff were excellent and we'll definitely be going back. Chicken Marsala, Chicken Milanese and fried provolone all pictured below. Highly recommend!! read more

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The food was excellent! Both the chicken parm and the lasagna were wonderful and the portions were huge.

Food quality / price (value) rating 8.5. The atmosphere is casual but upscale. The menu is well rounded with several standard Italian dishes with a contemporary slant. We both chose the Halibut special. It was prepared and presented nicely. The service was very good. We sat outside on their beautiful Victorian porch. The dishes are served a la carte, no bread or salad, which always feels a little disappointing. The beers were reasonably priced, and they have a Happy Hour Monday through Thursday. Two halibut dinners, one wine and two beers came to $120 plus tip. read more

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My wife and I had the pleasure of attending the soft opening and also Opening weekend (first weekend in October with the in-laws ) of Mangia Mi East in Sandy Hook, what an experience! I We were greeted by the friendly staff who made us feel right at home and greeted us by name from the soft opening back at the end of August. The ambiance is inviting, perfect for a nice dinner out or a even a seat at the bar and open kitchen. Now, let's talk about the food -- AMAZING! Each dish had authentic Italian flavors that truly impressed. We couldn't get enough! Mangia Mia East is now in our dining rotation. If you're looking for delicious Italian plates, pizza and drinks, this is the place to be! Can't wait for our next visit! read more

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My son recommended this place for dinner so we met him and his wife there, We were pleasantly impressed with the atmosphere of the place. Very neat and clean nice bar setup. Service was very good, never rushed. The apps and salad and dinner and drinks were excellent as well as dessert. We will be back. read more

mangia mi east - Shrimp Fra diavalo over pasta with arugala salad and some Merlot. - Italian Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

We got take out tonight and it was delicious! We got the focaccia bread, the tagliatelle with crispy chicken cutlet in a piccata sauce and the Sunday Gravy over homemade cavatelli. It was all very very good! We think it would have even been better (hotter) if we ate in restaurant instead of taking it home. But we were very happy with the quality and we are extremely picky due to the fact our son went to Fordham in the Bronx and lived on Arthur Ave so we'd eat there a lot. This was just as good if not better! We will be back! read more

Rebecca the owner and magnificent chef and owner is nothing but a walking angel she's a new we'll welcome addition to Sandy Hook CT I witnessed her preparing a awesome meal for her staff that she does every evening for her staff at the end of the night her food is nothing but decadent fresh home style and plain ole delicious myself and my mate Jeff will be patronizing her restaurant every week coodles and much love and support to Manggi mi east Jeff and Michelle read more

mangia mi east - Rebecca the owner of - Italian Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

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Went to mangia mi east for the first time yesterday. The prices on the menu are a little insane - chicken parm is $29 and a side of pasta that you can't choose or customize is $10 more. No pasta comes with it. The chicken parm was good, the pasta wasn't. The prices just didn't make sense for what you got. They said full meals served two but they weren't as big as you expected. Nostranos you get far more food for a better price (and ifs all amazing). You get absolutely nothing, not even complimentary bread. Also, I'm not sure where they got the idea for their lasagna bolognese. I lived in bologna and whatever we got yesterday was nowhere close to lasagna bolognese. The beef had a wonderful flavor but lasagna bolognese is supposed to have many layers of pasta and filling this had ...a top layer of pasta with a weird taste. We ordered affogatos that didn't come with espresso. A group of 4, with 3 non alcoholic drinks, two appetizers, 4 entrees and dessert cost $250. That's insane. It was not worth that price. I'm glad we tried it but we will absolutely not be back. There are better and more reasonable places in Newtown. read more

Lovely restaurant located in a picturesque setting! Staff was very accommodating and the food was fantastic ! Rebecca, the owner, went out of her way to make us feel welcome! We started with a charcuterie, then the best homemade pasta with prosciutto and peas! Next came the chicken Milanese deliciously breaded! Dessert was a lemon burst of flavor! Excellent vibe! read more

Mangia Mi East is our go to restaurant in Newtown! The food is fresh and full of flavor. The dishes are creative and specials change frequently. Chef Rebecca has an amazing presence that is enjoyable to watch. She has full command of the open kitchen. You need to visit. You won't be disappointed. read more

Such a great spot, my husband and I absolutely love Mangia Mi! We typically sit at the bar and have a front row seat watching head chef, Rebecca White, cook up everyone's meals; she is incredibly talented and gracious. We've told our friends and family to pop by, and recently brought my mom and friend for a girls night - we ordered multiple apps/entrees to share family style (stacked eggplant, pear salad, bolognese, carbonara, marsala), all fantastic. The staff is kind and friendly, and the overall atmosphere and vibe is welcoming, laid back and relaxed. Always looking forward to our next visit! read more

So delicious great service and a nice patio! Even the owner came out to say hello. Very accommodating to our large group. read more

mangia mi east - Cheese pizza - Italian Near Me - Newtown, Connecticut

Couldn't decide between 3 or 4 stars for this place. I went with 4 because we want them to succeed and believe they will improve as time goes on, especially if they listen to, and act on the customer feedback. Here are some pros: Apps are all delish and come out quickly. Especially the eggplant stack and calamari. The homemade pasta is top notch, the portions are huge and the staff, while very young, is very nice. It can be entertaining to watch the chef owner at work over the stove from the bar, but beware, they cook their pizza in a regular over on a regular wire rack. It drips all over the inside of the oven and makes a ton of smoke (which imparts smoky flavor on the pizza, which is interesting, but may not be for everyone) and we've literally been smoked out of the bar area. They refer to the pizza as "New Haven style", but I'm not sure why. It is good and thin/crunchy crusted, but it is a style of its own, featuring a heavy dose of Asiago. If you don't like the saltiness of toasted Asiago, this pizza may not be for you. They serve their Caesar salad on whole romaine leaves. It's enormous and enough for four. The chef/owner will tell you you're supposed to eat it without silverware. We usually don't want to get dressing all over our fingers, so we usually use fork and knife. Speaking of the dressing, it's usually very good, although we aren't a fan of mustard on our salad....occasionally, they are too heavy handed on the mustard, which ruins it for us. We mentioned this to our server and we're told she wasn't surprised because they don't really follow a recipe. We always ask for more shaved parmesan and house made croutons - delish! Cons: The "baked and sauced" and pasta dishes tend to be over-sauced, and they do not serve bread unless you ask, in which case they will charge you about $1 per thin slice of hard, tiny crostini. The sauces are flavorful, but very salty. I usually order a half portion and really want to finish it, but can't because I have to drink so much water because of the salt. I won't even use extra grated cheese, which I love, because it's already so salty. Not too many options for food sensitive people, besides charcuterie. Desserts are good, but not great. We hope they introduce daily special at some point to see what else the chef can do. They would do well by hanging some soft materials on the walls because I gets VERY loud in the small dining rooms and parking is terrible on busy nights. Best to go early or late. This would probably be a 5 star place if we were out west. But the expectations in the Northeast tend to be higher and more traditional for Italian Food. read more

Parking and staff issues. Tried to go there tonight at 5pm there was no parking, not even in the townhomes behind the restaurant. Those townhome folks are now "saving spaces" with parking cones. Went to leave and people were parking on the side of the driveway effectively cutting the driveway to one lane. The road out front was busy and the first in line was taking a left....several more cars went to enter and now the driveway and road are blocked. This is a real safety issue. How could Newtown P&Z and Sandy Hook developer Michael Burton sign off on this design? It's a recipe for disaster. Last time we were here the food was fine but the high schoolers waiting tables were an issue. I asked, "What beers do you have?" 17-year-old waitress responds " I don't know" then just looks at me. No let me find out, nothing. I end up giving her a short list of what I like and tell her to try to get close. So, she comes back with a beer, no glass and goes to take our order. I ask "Are there any specials?" Again, she responds " I don't know." I ask can you please find out. Finally, were waiting for our check, I am a little fed up at this point and just hand her my card and tell her we need to leave. She comes back with a check in the folder and has rung my card, she drops it and leaves. I open the folder and there is no pen to sign and tip with...I end up getting up and running her down. She still doesn't have a pen and needs to go into the back to get one. Owner: Detail matter. read more

Really wanted to LOVE this place as this quaint town needs some good Italian and had high hopes after hearing great reviews from friends who tried them during their soft opening but sadly, didnt score great with us and our party! Ambiance is nice and plenty of space between tables and the bar area is simple but inviting and you have a clean view. The staff is very friendly and nice and naturally with time they will get more seasoned but for opening weekend, no complaints. We started with some apps of a few salads, meatballs, fried calamari and eggplant stack. First remark from all of us is where's the bread (the new version of wendy's, where's the beef!) How can you sit down to dinner and not get bread-yes they offer focaccia as an appetizer BUT what about that nice crusty italian bread with either some kick arse olive oil or creamy butter but BREAD is needed! The salads were very good-nice dressing and flavor and great ingredients. The eggplant stack was very good and offered a nice presentation and flavors but could use a little salt-an easy fix. The meatballs (3) had both great texture and flavor and the sauce that they sat in was very tasty. The calamari was just ok-good crunch but other than the sauce, the breading itself lacked flavor. Drinks were good and the wine selection was great. Main course for our party consisted of a few sunday sauce dishes which 3 members all agreed had potential but proved to be very dry and needed more gravy to make it "typical" sunday sauce (we are all italian and sunday sauce has been a staple for all of us) Meatball in sunday sauce was good, and pork was tender but there was no sign of sausage and again FRUGAL on the sauce...we had to ask for sauce a few times because the pasta drank it up but the little sauce that we did have was very tasty...but then we asked for more (i know but even looking at pic shows lack of sauce) we were cut off! Alas...on to the next dishes...the chicken parm was tasty but a small portion for the price and is served in its own oval casserole dish. Nicely cooked and tender and good flavor. A side of pasta with Alfredo was ordered and honestly, the alfredo sauce was awful! No flavor or taste but thankful the pasta tasted good but again, the alfredo sauce was not enjoyable and again, was cut off from getting more "gravy". The chicken piccata wasnt bad but the complaints was how the chicken was sliced and served on this dish and the quantity-I stress quantity because our waitress repeated countless times that it was family style. I tried this dish and it was ok but having tried it, would never order again. The lasagna Bolognese was decent but could use some sauce...again, we come from a family where gravy is in a bowl and sits at the table with a laddle and yes, it gets refilled but i understand we cannot have that mentality at a restaurant BUT if you serve sunday sauce, it needs all the guts, sauce, meatball, pork and Sausage!!!! We all agreed it was not bad and we all seemed to enjoy the appetizers and drinks far more than our entrees. Cannot say anything about dessert as we decided to call it a night after 3 hours. Maybe we may try again but not rushing back anytime soon. Oh and on another note, parking here has potential of being a nightmare as it sits in front of condos and not much parking available. We were lucky to find a spot as were the 2 other cars that joined but when we left, the lot was packed! read more

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We had 10 ladies here for a birthday party for 2 of our friends. Most of us had never been here. What a great experience!! From the quality of the food to the professional service and even a visit from the owner- we were so pleased- All of our pastas were excellent, from the bolognese to the creamed mushroom tagliatelle, the stacked eggplant, and the lemon shrimp with linguine- The service was top notch and was very doting on us all- We will definitely be back- thank you for the great experience!! Gina P read more

Went here to try the Sunday sauce it was dry and not enough meat, very disappointing and we were hoping for this place to be a bright spot in town instead it's a bust! Also asked for extra sauce and was told after receiving a small cup that I reached my quota lol one and done for us. read more

We had been seeing photos pop up on Facebook and couldn't wait to try it. We made a reservation for 5:00 on a Sunday evening for 2 of us. Parking was fine since it was an early dinner hour. Oh wait, it was fine because on one else was there except a couple at the bar. We each started with a martini which was only filled half-way in the glass - in other words, we got ripped off about 40% of the drink. We started with the focaccia which was good and reasonably priced. We ordered a Caesar salad to share next. Didn't come until after our entrees came. The croutons were so hard and chewy - awful. We both got the Nonna's Sunday gravy special. We eat out a lot and rarely don't eat what is put in front of us but tonight that happened. The gravy was very dark brown - like it burned and they stirred it up. The meatballs and sausage were both dry and flavorless. We sent both orders back. We regret that we didn't take a photo. We ended up eating bread, Caesar salad, 2 martinis and 2 wines for over $100! Do not recommend and will not go back. read more

If you have a chance to stop in please do. Watch the kitchen in action. Watch the 'family' take care of things. Enjoy the refined chaos on a busy night- I loved that after working in the bizz for many years. I understand that some reviews aren't 'all' star- but I sure hope that you see all the 4 & 5 stars, realize what's there, and try them out. read more

We love sitting at the bar to watch the chef at work. We started with the arancini followed by the homemade pasta dishes. Amazing! Highly recommend. read more

This was our first visit and, since it was at a slow time, Rebecca, the owner, was our host. All six of us enjoyed hearing her stories about the food and menu. From the aps to the pizzas to the pasta dishes, everything was delicious. The cocktails and sangria were also enjoyed by those who had them. This will certainly not be our last visit. As Newtown residents, it is a joy to have another high quaity restaurant from which to choose in this town of great places to dine. Thanks, Rebecca, for the wonderful dining experience. read more

Great food and service ,best restaurant in sandy hook area ,open cooking ,talented owner ,best hidden secret in town