Family values, traditional Italian cooking styles, a love for local produce, a wine list to swoon over and superb service describes one of my all-time favourite restaurant finds in Niagara Falls— Casa Mia.
For over 25 years Casa Mia has been owned and operated by the Mollica family. Dad Domenic greets you at the door, mother, matriarch and executive chef Luciana keeps the kitchen rolling and her son Claudio on his culinary toes. The goal of Casa Mia is to celebrate Italian cuisine while paying tribute to the rich agricultural land of the Niagara region. On a daily basis Chef Claudio and Mamma Lucy are visited by local farmers, from whom they select only the best in produce, meats, cheeses and of course local Niagara wine. From desserts using fresh Ontario peaches to entrees celebrating fresh herbs and aged Ontario meats, Casa Mia meets my demands from start to finish.
A word of warning: Casa Mia is located away from the hub of activity of Niagara Falls. It’s only a short cab ride, and in classic Italian family style the Mollica family provides complementary taxi service to and from your hotel. While Casa Mia has been voted No. 3 out of 278 restaurants on Tripadvisor.com. the Mollica family is Number One in my books as a family restaurant working together for the love of local food.
Frank recommends ordering:
SPECIAL DINNER FOR TWO: Bruschetta, soup or salad, sorbet intermezzo, veal parmigiana, stuffed chicken breast, two skewered shrimp, four ravioli pasta and tableside strawberry flambé.
With: Gamay, Cave Springs Cellars (Jordan) 2005.
- CASA MIA RESTAURANT, 3518 Portage Rd., Niagara Falls, 905-356-5410; 1-888-956-5410.
