Driving along 81 South from Staten Island, New York to visit with our family in Georgia; we were…read morestopping for the night to stay at The Hampton Inn Suites in the town of Abingdon, VA. Before retiring for the night, we searched for a place to eat and found Momma Mia Italiano Restaurant. At first we were reluctant, thinking how could an Italian restaurant be any good in a small town in Virginia. After all, we are of Italian-American descent -- so we know genuine Italian food and being the cook in our home -- I know how to cook Italian. My meatballs are renowned with our family and circle of friends. Not only are we of Italian descent, we are from NYC where there are the best restaurants in the world!!!! We have lived there over 60 years and have ate at the best! We entered the restaurant to see the entry King Kong sign about being the best -- better than NYC. I knew immediately that sign was spot on -- the restaurant smelled like my home growing up as a child on Sunday mornings! The aroma of the red tomato sauce carried us into our seats! (I think I was floating.) There were so many choices on the menu, it was difficult to make our choices. I decided on a plate of spaghetti with meat sauce and the chicken salad. My husband chose the raviolis and a side salad. The dinner included Italian garlic bread! The service from our server was divine: friendly, courteous and professional. The owner/chef visited us at the table a few times to be sure everything was alright, and it was MORE THAN alright. The food was "delicioso! We are so grateful that God brought us to this awesome restaurant in Abingdon, VA!! We'll be back!

I tried eating here on a busy weekend once and found it packed, so I was surprised when I happened…read moreby again on a Friday night and it was not busy at all. I had some skepticism that it would live up to its reputation, and frankly Southwest Virginia is not a place that someone of my urbane character normally looks for high-end pizza in, but this was another Abingdon gem. A salad was quite large; I'm not usually thrilled with iceberg lettuce and the cheese was a bit much, but the ingredients were fresh and crisp and it was reasonably good for what it was. The pizza I came for was a beautifully presented pie with a crust the texture of a cloud. The special I ordered was just basil, oregano, and fresh tomatoes, but this simple flavor combination delivered on every front: tangy, astringent, savory, salty. Ordering a tea with free refills was a sound enough decision. Service wasn't the smoothest to be honest; only one actual waitress was working and some people had a bit of a delay when they arrived. I also felt a bit rushed out and ultimately asked for a dessert to go at the register, which was probably a better way of eating it anyway. The luxuriously soft tiramisu was another good decision. As is often the case with Italian cuisine, this place does not seem like a great option for those who don't eat dairy or wheat. For those who do, it is a reminder of why some flavors never go out of style.