My friend and I took a little road trip to La Cucina after a friend recommended it for the…read moredelicious food. Overall, the experience was just okay -- not bad, but not something I'd drive out of the way for again. If I lived closer, I'd definitely give it another try. We started with sweet tea and bread. The bread with dipping sauce was tasty and a nice start. I ordered the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, and my friend had the Spaghetti and Meatballs. Unfortunately, both entrées were pretty bland. My chicken lacked flavor, and I ended up leaving most of it along with half the noodles. My friend only ate one meatball and passed on the rest. The highlight of the entire meal was the Crème Brûlée -- absolutely amazing! If you go, I highly recommend ordering dessert and maybe trying a different entrée than we did. A friend had suggested the lasagna, and I wish I had taken that advice. The restaurant itself is in a beautiful country setting, and the interior feels warm and inviting. With a few tweaks to the entrées, I think this place could really shine.

I do not have enough wonderful things to say!!! It was perfection! Food, service, ambiance - all…read morejust wonderful! So worth the beautiful drive!!! I don't usually give five stars but La Cucina gets it!!!

Great Food! Great Choices! Excellent Value! Servings/sizes and value for the money. Visiting with…read morefriends and Pizza for dinner was the choice. Open on Sundays, stopped at Italiano's. Food choices from the menu ranged from pizza, Italian and American sandwiches, appetizers. Quick prep and service. The Calzone was excellent and huge as a "large" goes. Half came home for leftovers. Counter service and ordering was easy. No rush and fountain beverage service. Definitely will be our repeat stop when in town. ‍

The food was very good. Large portions. Nothing fancy. You order in front and they bring it into…read morethe small dinning room. You get your own drinks,salt pepper, utensils. Very nice lady waited on us. Very friendly. I had the pepperoni roll and Greek salad, my husband got a calzone and an Italian salad. The salads were huge! As was both our entrees. A little pricey but we had leftovers. Would recommend

One of our favorite locally-owned restaurants! They're got the best Italian food! The Salmon…read moreFlorentine is amazing, as is their Byrne Special Cannelloni! Their pizza's and calzone's are some of the very best in the Tri-Cities area! Amal, who runs the restaurant, is an incredible man - super friendly and a great businessman! Don't dare overlook this gem of a restaurant!! You'll be so happy that you've eaten here! Oh yes, and their bread, served before the meal, is off-the-chain!!

Needs to improve quality, quantity and wait time to match the prices. Was brought to eat here for…read moreMother's Day. (I usually don't comment on gift meals unless it's positive.) It was early afternoon and busy, so we sat at the bar to save time. When we looked at the menu, we thought everything looked pricey but figured it would be worth it. We ordered the namesake dishes: the Chicken Bella Vita for me and the Veal Bella Vita for my husband. Wait staff was very nice and indicated it was a good choice. We also ordered a bottle of wine (way overpriced for what it was). The bread and the extra olive oil dip we ordered were delicious, as were the salads.Then we waited. And waited. Over an hour after finishing our salads, the entrees finally arrived. I'm patient with holiday crowds, but no place should take this long. When the food arrived, I was not impressed by the portions for a $25.99 entree, but I hoped the taste would make up for it. It didn't. There was no taste at all! It was supposed to be a champagne sauce, but it tasted like flavorless biscuit gravy with no salt--and no cheese was offered to help it out. My 'Bella Vita' plate had only about 2 bites of chicken, 3 shrimp, and a few pieces of artichoke with some sun-dried tomatoes. I get that poor planning can make a holiday meal prep a challenge, but we paid full price--over $100 for two people before tip. We won't be returning.

Came here for dinner with my hubby on a week night. Still great service. Still delicious pizza…read more Mediterranean salad: wonderful flavors Supreme pizza (same pizza as last time but the correct name): our favorite This time we were seated in a booth in the upper dining room around the back. White table cloths cover each table. Soft music plays above you.

I was told this place was pretty good. I ordered the eggplant parmesan which was ok, wouldn't say…read moreit was amazing. My bf ordered the calzone and he said he would give it a 4/5. The garlic bread was pretty good. I liked the cannoli cream, they made it correctly with sopraffina ricotta.

We had a dinner circuit with friends of local eateries and this place landed on the shortlist…read more DellaSantina has been open for several years and recently added a pizzeria that is completely separate next door. It is away from from the beaten path of the Smokies and they recommend reservations for dinner. Open at 3pm, I called and he gave us a 6:15 time which worked well on a slower Wednesday. The entrance gives way to a nice bar area with a few TVs, booths and white linen tables. We each settled on a bottle of Sangiovese and Pinot Grigio and the mussels appetizer and bruschetta. Our waiter Andrei was professional and prompt. We decided to have a glass of wine and enjoy conversation and our apps without ordering our entrees and expediting the occasion. Andrei checked back several times and kept our waters full and was very patient. We settled on clams fettuccini with a white wine butter sauce and my lady got the mussels in the same sauce. It was a garlic lover's delight and I'm certain I'll never be a vampire. We enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere was relaxed. A liquid dessert pour of tequila and whiskey settled us and we skipped dessert although it was tempting. Overall the prices were a bit higher but the service was excellent and our meal rang true. It was a great first impression and we had leftovers. It will be added into our rotation and look forward to trying other pastas and seafood.

The Frutti di Mare is phenomenal!!!…read more We happened upon this wonderful location by watching "Adventure is Out There" on YouTube. Totally off the beaten path, and so worth it. Just when you think you're lost, you arrive. The Focaccia bread that is served really good. Suggest getting marina as opposed to olive oil for dipping. The meatball was nice sized (big enough to share) and marinara sauce was really good. The Frutti di Mare was suggested by our waiter Anthony (very knowledgeable about the menu and offerings) to use white wine sauce. It was a great suggestion. The ingredients were obviously fresh and the portion size was easily shareable. We shared a Tiramisu. And let me preface that my wife has never liked this dessert. But the YouTube review swayed her perspective. And she loved it. You can tell that it's a labor to make (we talked to the owner's wife and she concurred). The only negative would be due to personal preference. The Caesar salad dressing didn't have anchovies. It was lemon forward and good, but it's just something that we like.

I got the gnocchi and I thought it was pretty good. My boyfriend got the chicken Parmesan and…read morethought it was delicious I just thought it was OK. They rave about their famous Kaseya bread, it was OK. The boy gobbled down his pasta and meatball

The food is very good. Sunday gravy with Italian sausage and meatballs is amazing. Daily bread is…read moregreat but having to pay extra for 2 tablespoons of olive oil is ridiculous. Great food but you are going to pay dearly for it. Service has always been good and pleasant. Small and few tables but that's not a bad thing.

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.

Well, this extremely small town only has a handful or restaurants including fast food. So, we…read morechanced Valentino's even thought the outside had a dilapidated appearance. The owner, chef, waiter, and host was very pleasant. He let us sit at any of the plastic covered tables and was very accommodating with an order request. The food was unique, with slightly different flavors than usual. My husband enjoyed the tanginess of the sauce and the garlic knots were very tasty. We ate spaghetti with meat sauce, baked ziti, and garlic knots. All of it was decent, especially considering our other choices (DQ, Hardee's, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut).

The Italian egg drop soup was amazing, I am not a fan of eggs in general so I almost didn't get it…read more That would have been a fail! The soup is a must try. It will have you coming back for more! The calzone was very good. It is obvious much love and care goes into the dishes served here.

We chose Bella's Italian Restaurant after seeing positive reviews while traveling with our family…read more Unfortunately, the experience was uncomfortable and not appropriate for families. There was about a 30 minute wait. We briefly stepped out and returned, only to learn our table had been ready but the text notification did not go through due to a phone number error. Not a big issue, we waited patiently with our two children ages 8 and 10. While we were waiting, the hostess went up to a man working the bar wearing a hat to speak to him about our table. She appeared apologetic and uncomfortable. His response and body language came across as irritated and dismissive. While still nearby, we overheard the same man speaking loudly to a bar customer and referring to a woman as "one of those crazy b***** online." It appeared connected to the table involved in the interaction that followed. After we were seated, the same man, who had been working the bar, came into the dining area and approached another table, a group that appeared to be in their 60s to 70s, regarding a receipt or refund issue. Based on his role and how he handled the situation, I initially assumed he was a manager. The discussion became tense. The woman at the table shook her receipt and said something to the effect of listening to him was making her more upset. At that point, he raised his voice and shouted profanity, telling her to "get the f*** out of my restaurant." As he walked away, he turned back and began shouting again, saying additional things about his integrity and honesty, then again told her to "get the f*** out" before storming into the kitchen. This occurred in the middle of the dining room with children present, including our own and another nearby table with young girls. From the back of the restaurant, loud banging could be heard, and it appeared he struck a wall or object while shouting additional profanity. The table he addressed appeared shaken and quietly left without further argument. The entire restaurant went silent. The servers themselves were professional and kind throughout the evening, but the outburst clearly affected the atmosphere for everyone. Overall, the food was about a 7 out of 10. The lasagna was good. Other dishes were mixed. The spaghetti marinara was very bitter and unbalanced, the shrimp scampi was heavy, and the amount of butter served with the rolls was excessive. Later, I was told by staff that the man involved is the owner's son. Later that night, my son told me that as he and the same man reached the single occupancy restroom door at the same time, the man told him to go first, but did so in a sharp and impatient manner that came across as aggressive. After witnessing repeated profanity and outbursts earlier in the evening, having my child spoken to in that manner by the same individual was completely unacceptable. Regardless of internal issues, repeated profanity, raised voices, and aggressive behavior toward guests, especially with children present, is not appropriate in a restaurant setting. We will not return and would caution families before dining here.

I've been a loyal customer at Bella's for years during our annual mountain trips and have…read morerecommended it to many people. Unfortunately, this will be my last visit. We arrived shortly after opening with a party of 8 and were told there would be a 15-minute wait, even though both dining rooms were empty. We waited in our car as instructed, then checked back after 15 minutes. Still no table. While waiting on a bench with my young child and my 70-year-old mother, a hostess came over to tell us we had to wait outside if we were waiting for a table, even though others were waiting inside for to-go orders. We were seated, not blocking any exits, and the restaurant was nowhere near capacity. When we questioned this, we were told it was "fire code." A second hostess repeated this rudely, even to members of our party who had ordered drinks at the bar. So, back out into the 20-degree cold we went. After about 30 minutes, we were finally seated--only to be told pizzas were now a 90-minute wait! No manager was on duty to address concerns, when I asked to speak with one. Several issues stand out: 1. This problem is systemic from the top down. 2. Hostesses should be welcoming, regardless of stress. 3. Dine-in guests should be prioritized over take-out orders. 4. A pizza place should be able to handle pizza orders without extreme delays. This is the second bad experience we've had here with long waits and poor customer service. Bella's markets itself as a "family" business, but clearly does not value families. I will never return and cannot recommend this restaurant to others.

This place has went downhill. The Sicilian style 'works supreme' was neither Sicilian nor the…read moreworks. They gave me a square neopolitan, and didn't bother putting all of the toppings that their menu stated came on their 'works supreme' specialty pizza. It honestly had all the earmarks of a homemade pizza that your nowhere near Italian grandmother used to make Youre better off getting a Detroit style out of the freezer @ Food City. It's 10x better and LESS THAN half the price UPDATE: And my wife biting into a piece of hard plastic was the on top NEVER again

Amazing food and huge portions! Kind servers. Great little spot out of the way of traffic and a…read morelittle gem.