Now that I have your attention....
Yes, I was even amazed at that cheese pull photo!
Upon a recommendation from a trusted culinary friend, we decided to try Mio Sogno Ristorante located in downtown Oneonta, Alabama.
We enjoyed the scenic 40-minute drive to neighboring Blount County.
The restaurant is located in a former mercantile building, and the beautifully preserved historic interior makes for a cozy, charming dining room.
The after-church crowd was dwindling when we arrived around 1:45 p.m. I waited until tables had cleared before I began snapping photos.
The menu has delicious offerings for appetizers, mains, and desserts.
While we discussed and debated on what to order, fresh hot bread was delivered to the table along with a cruet of herbed olive oil for dipping.
We placed our order with Taylor (who was attentive, personable, and efficient!) and immediately a bowl of salad to share arrived.
We originally wanted to try the fried mushrooms, but they were unavailable, so we decided that the fried ravioli with tomato basil sauce would be an ideal substitution. We weren't wrong.
I was thankful there was an even number of ravioli. Call me quirky, but I always appreciate an appetizer that's easy to share. There were six fried ravioli on the plate, so Sweet Harold and I each got three. No awkward "You take it." "No, you take it." conversation over the last piece!
These were served hot and with cheesy goodness at the perfect melty point. The sauce was served warm and it had a slight sweetness to it, not acidic at all.
Sweet Harold chose the Blackened Tilapia and Shrimp: served with rice pilaf with corn, red peppers, green onions, herbs, grilled shrimp, and topped with chipotle lime sauce.
Isn't that a beautiful plate? Sweet Harold nodded as soon as he took a bite and didn't say another word until he was halfway finished. THEN he began to tell me how each bite was more delicious than the last one.
And here is his highest praise: "I would put this seafood dish up against any similar dish I've ever eaten." Wow. Now y'all know, like E.F. Hutton (I'm dating myself here...), when Sweet Harold speaks, people listen.
One of the specials today was lasagna. I asked Taylor for her thoughts and she readily agreed that would be an excellent choice. She was correct.
Eight layers, y'all. Eight.
This was a much larger portion that appears in these pictures, trust me.
I couldn't stop turning the plate to get another angle, it was so pretty!
And then...there it was! The Cheese Pull Shot.
I know y'all are envious....don't be, because you can go to Oneonta and order it yourself!
Now it was time for the meal to end. Right? Wrong. Yes, we're both tracking points on Weight Watchers. Yes, we've lost over 70 pounds between us. Did we save up our weekly points to enjoy this meal today? You bet we did. Did we order dessert? Oh, yes, we ordered dessert!
Sweet Harold adores bread pudding. Me, not so much. Raisins, for one thing. But I digress. He ordered the homemade banana bread pudding with pecans and topped with vanilla ice cream and chef's homemade caramel sauce.
It's almost beautiful enough for me to take a bite. Almost.
I chose the Homemade Chocolate Cake with chocolate icing and drizzled with chocolate syrup served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Did I finish it? No, but every bite I did eat was delicious.
My recap: The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Taylor was so sweet and efficient. The food was delicious, beautifully plated, and well seasoned. The desserts were the ideal ending of a wonderful meal.
As our friend observed, "This restaurant is a hidden gem."
If you're within driving distance, make the trip. We certainly plan to go back.
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