Although I cook dinners during the week, Friday nights are reserved for “take out,” and Saturday evenings my husband, Don, and I dine at our old stand-bys, close to home. They include Hana Sushi, What the Pho! and Jaliscos, with the occasional visit to Chan’s Place and Outback Steakhouse. But, it was time to add a new eatery, or to revisit some of the restaurants we used to frequent in a former life.

So, when was the last time you dined at Mia Roma in Kenmore? For us, it had been more than 25 years ago.

It was 5 o’clock when we entered the half-empty restaurant. I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Look how pretty it is!”

The lobby sparkled in little white lights, as holiday decorations were still in place in January. The checkered red-and-white tablecloths caught my eye as did the paintings of Italy’s countryside (That’s what I’ve always thought Italy looked like, but I’ve never been there.) As we dived into the warm, home-baked bread while waiting for drinks, we wondered how long Mia Roma had been here, and tried desperately to remember just which set of friends we dined with those many years ago, B.C. (before kids!)

“The restaurant opened in the ’70s,” said the informative waitress, adding, “It was Bob’s Chicken House before that.”

Mia Roma sounds a lot more inviting, I thought.

We discovered that Mary and Paul Campbell have owned Mia Roma for almost seven years. The restaurant was inspired by a restaurant in landlord Teo DiCicco’s hometown in southern Italy.

“Over the years it has been extensively remodeled, and is filled with paintings and the décor of old Italy. Some of the original artwork of the founder remains,” says Mary.

She adds, “The recipes for the sauces are the same ones he brought over from Italy and have been used at Mia Roma since it opened.”

I ordered a green salad to begin the meal, which came with an Italian dressing (what else!), then ordered chicken parmigiana, with a side of spaghetti, for $13.95. Don had the Roma lasagna for $12.95. Both entrees were smothered with plenty of thick, tomato-based sauce and cheese that really hit the spot on the cold, snowy night. I had to box half of mine, however, as by the time I ate all that bread and salad, there was only room left for a portion of the main meal. Luckily, I remembered to grab the box as we left the table — something I don’t always remember to do.

We also learned that there’s an early bird dinner of spaghetti ‘n meatballs and lasagna for $9.95 from 4-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and a Tuesday prime-rib night. If you love prawns, there’s a free prawn night with a “buy one prawn appetizer and get the second one for free.”

The evening was a nostalgic trip into our past, which also met our dining-out criteria of a comfy booth, quiet atmosphere for conversation and tasty food.

We thought we’d try the pizza joint down the street for this Friday night’s take out. They left a message on our phone saying, “We’ll take $7 off of your next pizza.”

Looks like Friday night is in the bag (or the box!). Now to try another nostalgic hide-a-way Saturday night, or, try something completely new.

Suzanne G. Beyer is a Bothell resident.

Although I cook dinners during the week, Friday nights are reserved for “take out,” and Saturday evenings my husband, Don, and I dine at our old stand-bys, close to home. They include Hana Sushi, What the Pho! and Jaliscos, with the occasional visit to Chan’s Place and Outback Steakhouse. But, it was time to add a new eatery, or to revisit some of the restaurants we used to frequent in a former life.

So, when was the last time you dined at Mia Roma in Kenmore? For us, it had been more than 25 years ago.

It was 5 o’clock when we entered the half-empty restaurant. I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Look how pretty it is!”

The lobby sparkled in little white lights, as holiday decorations were still in place in January. The checkered red-and-white tablecloths caught my eye as did the paintings of Italy’s countryside (That’s what I’ve always thought Italy looked like, but I’ve never been there.) As we dived into the warm, home-baked bread while waiting for drinks, we wondered how long Mia Roma had been here, and tried desperately to remember just which set of friends we dined with those many years ago, B.C. (before kids!)

“The restaurant opened in the ’70s,” said the informative waitress, adding, “It was Bob’s Chicken House before that.”

Mia Roma sounds a lot more inviting, I thought.

We discovered that Mary and Paul Campbell have owned Mia Roma for almost seven years. The restaurant was inspired by a restaurant in landlord Teo DiCicco’s hometown in southern Italy.

“Over the years it has been extensively remodeled, and is filled with paintings and the décor of old Italy. Some of the original artwork of the founder remains,” says Mary.

She adds, “The recipes for the sauces are the same ones he brought over from Italy and have been used at Mia Roma since it opened.”

I ordered a green salad to begin the meal, which came with an Italian dressing (what else!), then ordered chicken parmigiana, with a side of spaghetti, for $13.95. Don had the Roma lasagna for $12.95. Both entrees were smothered with plenty of thick, tomato-based sauce and cheese that really hit the spot on the cold, snowy night. I had to box half of mine, however, as by the time I ate all that bread and salad, there was only room left for a portion of the main meal. Luckily, I remembered to grab the box as we left the table — something I don’t always remember to do.

We also learned that there’s an early bird dinner of spaghetti ‘n meatballs and lasagna for $9.95 from 4-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and a Tuesday prime-rib night. If you love prawns, there’s a free prawn night with a “buy one prawn appetizer and get the second one for free.”

The evening was a nostalgic trip into our past, which also met our dining-out criteria of a comfy booth, quiet atmosphere for conversation and tasty food.

We thought we’d try the pizza joint down the street for this Friday night’s take out. They left a message on our phone saying, “We’ll take $7 off of your next pizza.”

Looks like Friday night is in the bag (or the box!). Now to try another nostalgic hide-a-way Saturday night, or, try something completely new.

Suzanne G. Beyer is a Bothell resident.