Mio Sogno Ristorante — Restaurant in Oneonta

My mom read an article in Southern Living featuring this restaurant as the best in Alabama -- or some similar lofty accolade. We were pleased to find it was in easy driving distance for us, and so off we went to give it a go.

Located in the small downtown of Oneonta, we didn't have trouble finding nearby street parking during lunch time. Although the entrance and exterior is low-key, the interior is spacious, airy, and just classy enough for a restaurant that walks a nice line between a finer dining experience and an accessible but high-quality lunch spot. Large ceiling, exposed brick, etc. It wasn't super crowded but they were doing a solid business for a midweek lunch.

Our waitress was spectacular. She was an older Latina woman with a moderately thick Spanish accent; I'm not sure if she gave us her name. She walked my dad to the restroom when we first arrived, patiently answered questions (both menu and non-menu related...my endlessly curious dad can and will chat up anybody!!), and provided great recommendations. She brought us to-go drinks and boxes without asking (though we definitely needed them!). She was just so perfectly attentive, warm, and gracious. HUGE kudos!

Their menu consists of pasta dishes and upscale American and Italian classics like filet mignon and chicken Parmesan. They also have a few more lunch-y items like a steak sandwich. Entrees come with bread and salad for the table.

There are jars of delicious, buttery, smooth and herbaceous olive oil waiting on each table to go with the bread. It was perfect with the warm rolls that were brought out to our table. We couldn't stop eating it. The shared salad was large and loaded with fresh vegetables and other goodies, including banana peppers, olives, tomatoes, and red onions. The house dressing was lightly acidic and enjoyable.

We got a plate of fried ravioli to share to start. It was delicious! The cheese was SO gooey and there was no shortage of it inside the crispy, salty, breaded ravioli. The dipping sauce wasn't overly sweet and complemented it perfectly.

For entrees, my dad ordered a blackened chicken salad, my mom got fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and vegetables (I know she kept mushrooms and peppers but asked for no broccoli), and I got crispy chicken Parmesan. They will grill the chicken if you prefer. This came with my choice of three pasta sauces: tomato basil, Alfredo, or creamy tomato basil, which is half and half tomato basil/alfredo. At the encouraging of our waitress, I went with the creamy tomato basil.

Everything was absolutely delicious. My dad's salad was probably the weak link though was still quite tasty -- serves him right for getting a salad at an Italian restaurant. ;). It was huge and the chicken was cooked very well, not at all dry. Mom absolutely loved hers and was very impressed at how beautifully and subtly all the different flavors played together. The creamy tomato basil sauce on my pasta was absolutely fantastic and a great recommendation. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly. My chicken Parmesan was maybe the tiniest bit overcooked (edges were a little chewy), but the inner pieces were succulent and the breading and melted cheese on top was delightful. Everything tasted so fresh and flavorful. It was truly a delightful dining experience.

This would be a great road trip for special occasions like an anniversary or even just for a fun way to treat yourself. Please give them a try if you're anywhere nearby. I hope to return in the future despite...

First & foremost I will wax lyrical. It happens, especially with handmade pastries.

Good ambiance, a rich historic building with lovely attention to style. This building is an enjoyable relaxing space with a modern twist. Plenty of parking, good bathrooms. Pretty historic shopping district.

Very fresh, well seasoned dishes. To know the five tastes & make a dish that hits all those points is hard. I generally forget most places cannot meet this mark, when I find the one that has this mastery of art, echos of all my favorite long hard hours in kitchens come back in flashes of nostalgia & joy. The best days are spontaneous & effective without hard effort. The best dishes are exceptional because the chef really knows his work & manages to remind one of all those moments in life, on a plate! Which is an effort of artistic ephemera, once & only. Chefs with this genius have the ability to do this in a repeating fashion of skill. You can be wealthy enough to eat out every day & still not experience incredibly beautiful food because of so many aspects that you will not experience; suppliers, staff intrigue, mild difficulties of consistency & control the list can be arduous at best. A Master Chef takes all this into account & delivers regardless.

So; Location ✔️ Comradery of staff, well appointed & educated & interested in hospitality ✔️ Food quality ✔️ Top shelf alcohol choices ✔️ Cleanliness ✔️

For the ladies who lunch, white linen service with a true french bread & olive oil on table, in a casual flaire so you can come in your jeans or your vintage hat. Great for catered event, for dates, for that little splurge of time to rejuvenate in good culture.

I didn't have to go to Atlanta for traditional five star sevice with a very reasonable pricetag!!!

Bread pudding is luscious, extravagant portions, with caramel & vanilla creme sauces. Key lime bright & clean & silky texture. Take either dessert with a cocktail & listen to Sinatra or Etta James on the beautiful sound system that is just effortlessly gentle backdrop. Fried ice cream is so crunchy & cold, vanilla rush with a rich texture, the kids will behave because it is so sharable & eye pleasing to table.

Organic & fresh !! No msg or additives at all!!! Oneonta how did you land this Chef !!!???

Locals & non locals, make the effort & take the trip to come here. I love reviewing because I get to experience surprisingly beautifully appointed locations & people who make hospitality an outstanding experience far past expectations.

If you love Italian food, this will make your day. Also, the traditional steaks are incredible. Also, the fresh fish is delectable. Delicious,...

Went to eat with my husband and two kids (11&6). Walked in to see 7 dirty tables just sitting around while the front entrance was completely packed. Nobody seemed in a hurry to clean anything or to greet customers at the door. We were sat at a high top, not my first choice with a younger kid but she did well. No bread was ever served and the salad had a puddle of liquid under it like it had been sitting in water mixed with the salad dressing. Some small irritants, but the service was lacking! The empty salad bowl with dirty salad plates sat on the tiny table next to my elbow for the near entirety of my meal until my husband asked the waiter to remove it after he'd come to the table five times and failed to do so. They ran out of sweet tea, which was okay it was closer to the end of the night, so we subbed with cokes but the empty glasses were still left on our tiny table that had no room along with the salad bowl. The high tops should really be 2 top tables instead of 4, the table is entirely too small to accommodate the large plates much less when service does not remove the used/empty dish ware. The food is always good -- service could use some additional training or I don't see this place lasting very long. This is not the first time I have been there but each time the service seems to be worse than the visit before and that makes me sad. I just don't want to see this place end up like the one across the street -- and that's what I am afraid of. The food is great though -- maybe we will just stick...