Mezza Luna Pasta and Seafood — Restaurant in Smyrna

My girlfriend and I came here without having heard of this place ever. We were in the mood for Italian, googled Italian nearby, and saw this place had 4.7 stars on google with almost 700 reviews. That's unheard of - we both worked in food and bev for 10-15 years at very reputable spots in town - nobody has 4.7 stars.

We called around 6:30 and were lucky enough to reserve a table for 2 at 7:15. We roll up and realize we know the block because we've been to the DQ right there. This place is between a liquor store and what looks like a wishy washy.

We walk in and get transported to Italy. There's a guy playing the accordion, back flush to the host stand, two flashlights on his sheet music, crushing it like san marzanos for sauce.

We are promptly seated and had been discussing ordering a bottle of red before we even got there. All of the red options are interesting, Italian, and approachably priced. I think all the bottles were less than $40 except a montepulciano that was only like $64. We got a fantastic barbera for $36.

The mussels (we got the white wine sauce) were the best ever. We get mussels everywhere we go, always the white wine sauce when available. These were better than our previous favorites from Lure in Midtown and put everything we've tried in port towns like Charleston and New Orleans to shame. They are melty, in the best way. Plus - even on the bread after soaking in the white wine/garlic/butter sauce, they are light, not rich.

Our server, Bruno, was warm, welcoming, concise, knowledgeable, and prophetic. We had questions and he had answers.

I got the pappardelle special with shrimp, basil pesto, cherry tomatoes and slivered almonds. She got the four-cheese fondue sausage lasagna special.

We also got a veal parmiggiano to go because we couldn't leave there without more food. That was after we got the profiterole dessert special which was somehow light and decadent at the same time and included a chocolate wafer candy bar that set it off.

Bruno was attentive, genuine, and not overbearing. His service was outstanding. We were also visited by the chef, Stefano, and the owner's wife, Jafi. We've never felt better taken-care-of while out for dinner, even in fine dining establishments in Buckhead.

This place is a gem and we can't wait to return. Might have to see what's up with that veal parmiggiano in the...

"Don't expect much," my friend warned me when telling me about this place. She was referring to the exterior of the restaurant, which is completely unassuming and shares a complex with a rundown liquor and package store. As we walked indoors, we saw that things were cozy but scantly decorated.

But truly, we couldn't care one whit about any of this. Because as we followed our waitress to our table, we were catching whiffs of fresh bread and pasta sauce. Focaccia is likely what we were smelling, and it's one of the first things they bring out to the table, along with a small dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's served warm, with a crusty and toasted exterior, which made it nearly impossible to ration them for sopping up sauce later (note: you always have the option of getting extra bread for a small upcharge).

We started with the calamari fritti, which are a thing of beauty. They look as though they've been painstakingly hand-breaded, because they're so well-coated yet extremely light. They're also hardly salted, which might compel some to think they're unseasoned. But I found them to taste just right with the accompanying sauce and a heavy spritz of lemon. We whizzed our way through our plate, which turned out to be a good thing because the pastas arrived way faster than we expected. I ordered the pappardelle alla bolognese, and my husband ordered the fettucine alla pescatora. Both were unmistakably made with fresh pasta, and we slurped happily from our respective bowls. My favorite thing about these entrees were the serving sizes. These weren't fancy plates with a tiny swirl of pasta on a big plate; instead, they felt like the generous, Italian-mama-spooned pasta bowls that are ready to fill up the most cavernous of stomach spaces.

While there were no downsides to our meal, we had a bit of a scare when we were taking bites from my husband's dish and we both ended up nearly chipping our teeth on some loose mussel or clamshell pieces that we hadn't noticed in the sauce. So word to the wise if you order it (though I hope that doesn't scare you away - it was delicious!).

The service in this family-owned restaurant is fast, friendly, and warm. I was touched that a server chased us halfway into the parking lot because we'd forgotten our leftovers...

This place never disappoints, and last night was no exception. My husband and I went out last night for our Valentine's Day "date night" and had an amazing time. We made reservations in advance and were quickly seated. This place is small, and doesn't look like much on the outside, but the amazing food, service, and ambience makes this place a glorious gem that cannot be missed. My husband and I have been to Italy, and the food here tastes more authentically Italian than any other place we've eaten at in town. Last night, we ordered off of their special Valentine's Day menu. We ordered the Egglant Bruschetta as an appetizer. It was AMAZING! Perhaps one of the best appetizers I've ever had. Then, my husband ordered the Sea Bass, and I ordered the Fettuccine alla Pescatora. Both, delicious, and cooked to perfection. We happened to be sitting next to a couple who were visiting the restaurant for the first time. They sounded like real foodies. They talked non-stop about all the restaurants they've been to around town, and even some five star restaurants in Charlston, and they were heavily impressed by their first time at Mezza Luna! They were sitting right next to us and had ordered the Tiramisu with Nutella, which they highly recommended - so of course my husband and I had to order that too! And it did not disappoint. Light and airy, absolute perfection. Despite being pretty full with dinner, and taking some of it home, we devoured the dessert rather quickly. Absolutely love, love, love this place. Never, ever disappoints. In the past, I've ordered their squid ink pasta - which is definitely unique by oh my tastes so unforgettably amazing - but I didn't see that on the menu last night. It didn't bother me too much, though, since I was in the mood of ordering something different anyway, but I really hope they haven't taken that particular dish off the menu permanently. That was...