Nostalgia for red sauce Italian joints never seems to wane. Since 2002, Rosaria’s Italian & Pizza has been pleasing crowds around Kennesaw and Acworth with an array of gooey pasta dishes, fresh dough pizzas and oven-baked sandwiches.
Family style
The restaurant is a family business, originally opened by Joanne Pecoraro, who was born in Palermo, Sicily. Nowadays, it’s managed by Pecoraro’s son, Frank Pecoraro, who grew up working in the family’s Chicago restaurants.
Located in small strip center on Cobb Parkway, Rosaria’s is a long way from Chicago. But just inside the door, you’ll find all kinds of old family photos, including one of grandmother Rosaria.
A small curving bar offers cocktails, a small selection of California wines, and a few draft beers, most notably Sweetwater 420, served by the mug, glass or pitcher. Providing a bit of food service entertainment, most tables and booths in the modest dining room look into the semi-open kitchen, where pizzas and calzones are baked.
Sicily to Chicago
Though Rosaria’s roots are in Sicily and Chicago, the “hand-tossed” pizza crust is closer to the style you’d expect from a delivery chain. Bready and chewy with thick edges, it makes a substantial base for the hefty specialty pies, which come in four sizes, from an 8-inch personal to a 16-inch large.
The house special ($7.95-$17.95) is loaded with pepperoni, crumbled Italian sausage, sliced black olives and fresh mushrooms, green peppers and onions over layers of red sauce and mozzarella cheese.
More adventurous pizza lovers should try the “thin crust,” made with a rolled out portion of dough shaped into a slender square, with a choice of ingredients tucked between the sauce and a top layer of cheese.
Plentiful pasta
Pasta, veal and chicken dishes come with fat garlic rolls and an old school iceberg lettuce salad topped with onions, black olives, pepperoncini and tomato.
Among the house specialties, Piatto Favorito ($16.95) definitely is not on the South Beach Diet. The trio of cheesy favorites has heaping helpings of lasagna, chicken Parmesan and fettuccine Alfredo, all together on one plate.
Other offerings range from simple pasta marinara and several kinds of ravioli to stuffed shells and chicken cacciatore. The weekend brunch menu features the usual omelets and French toast, plus pizza or stromboli baked with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese.
Dining out
Rosaria's Italian & Pizza, 3103 Cobb Parkway N.W., 770-975-9993
Signature dish: Pizza and pasta
Entree prices: $5.50-$17.95
Hours: 3-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays. Brunch: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays.
Credit cards: Yes
Online: www.rosariasitalianrestaurant.com
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