Sunny Italy Cafe

Sunny Italy Café in South Bend provides a historic take on classic Italian cuisine. With nearly 100 years of service, they’ve perfected a simple yet effective menu of handmade, fresh, and delicious dishes that deliver a wholesome and memorable dining experience. Despite the restaurant being packed during our visit, service was timely, and our waitress was attentive throughout the meal. Every dish we tried was flavorful and expertly prepared. Sunny Italy Café truly offers a charming, family-style dining experience that we look forward to enjoying again soon.

I really enjoyed the food and atmosphere here! I've seen where some reviewers thought that the atmosphere was old and out of style. In the table next to me was a party of 3 gentlemen, the oldest of which was there to celebrate his birthday. I would guess that he is in his 90's. The thought of that brought to my mind the image of an Italian Restaurant from the 50's. Several tables of regulars also enjoyed themselves and sometimes exchanged in conversation. This was before the big dinner rush. We arrived at 4:45PM. The food is amazing! I devoured the Broiled 1/2 chicken. It was fantastic! My friend had the manicotti, it was also great! We had bruschetta before dinner and split a canoli for dessert. I left satisfied! Our server was also very attentive and friendly.

Oh my god the food is wonderful! We had a party of 6 and got there right before the rush. Wonderful service, Stephanie went above and beyond for us. We enjoyed our meal so much! No one walked away disappointed. Desert was amazing, food was amazing. Pictured here we have veal parm and scampi, although everything we tried was amazing.

This is the place my father took my mother when they were dating in the early 50s. Then they took my sister and me later. My favorite place for my birthdays. It's still the same, the foods still the same and I always get the deluxe spaghetti dinner, antipasto with french dressing and spumoni for dessert. It's tradition.

Old school traditional Italian restaurant. Dimly lit, dark carpet, old wooden shutters...the ambiance just feels like old Italian. The pasta and ravioli are outstanding and the house Italian sausage is amazing. The house dressing is off the charts...

I had the Ravioli Complete, and I loved it. It was very good, and my only two complaints we're that it was doughy, and the sauce was a little too liquidy, and not very thick, but it. was good nevertheless. I also had the 5 layer chocolate cake, and it was amazing. A little rich, but that was to be expected with chocolate cake. The ice-cream was perfect with the cake, and it was just amazing. The service was also amazing, and it also was very fast food. Overall, my meal was very good, and a great restaurant.

I used to see the "Sunny Italy Cafe" billboard on old 31 (now HWY 933) near the stateline when I was much younger. I thought about going there a few times in the last 30 years, but never actually did. I guess it was just an instantly forgettable passing thought, and I never heard ANY buzz about the place. Tonight I stopped in for dinner. I arrived at 5:45, the parking lot was almost empty on a Friday evening. (uh oh!) There were two other tables seated and more employees than customers. Right away my skin began to crawl, as I am HIGHLY ALLERGIC to pretension and faux eleganza. The inside looks like a caricature of any 1940's Italian mob film. I thought it stupidly ironic that a restaurant called SUNNY Italy is so dark and dingy inside. The hostess (remember they had two out of thirty tables seated!) walked me to the darkest corner of the dining room. I vetoed this for a spot near the front windows. I knew I wanted the spaghetti with meat sauce. The prices merit special attention: the spaghetti with a nothing special salad (97% just lettuce) and a small loaf of bread cost $15.00. Adding meat sauce was $3.00 extra. The tiny, little gag-sized (8 ounces) bottle of Coke (no refills!) was $2.00. (See pix) I reflexively asked for the house Italian dressing, the waitress repeated back "CREAMY Italian", I said "No, I don't like creamy dressings", she said that's how our house dressing is made. She then SUGGESTED plain vinegar and oil. I didn't like the sound of that so said I will try the creamy house dressing. Five minutes later she brought me a plate of lettuce drenched with plain vinegar and oil. I took a photo for this review and set it on the far side of my table without tasting it. At this same time she brought the little clown-sized bottle of Coke and I uncontrollably laughed as she set it in front of me along with a glass full of ice. I asked her "How much is this wonderful vintage costing me?!" She replied $2.00. As I continued to chuckle at this absurdity she sensed my disdain and offered "The small bottles are a TRADITION with us. Most people DON'T LIKE the big bottles." OH, I SEE!!!, it's a TRADITION! It isn't just you fleecing your customers by serving stingy, small portions for the ridiculous prices- IT'S TRADITION!!! And certainly no one will argue, mock or otherwise impune a TRADITION because that might some how cross into some imaginary cultural disrepect that scares all kowtowed Americans to death! What a steaming load of B.S.!!! Most people DON'T LIKE the big bottles??? When and where do Americans NOT like things big and more? Why do you think almost every restaurant in America offers a giant 64 ounce drink size or at least free refills?!!! This tiny, little joke-sized bottle is nothing more than a money grab as Sunny Italy is counting on people needing more than two Dixie Cups of drink with their meals. I set the doll-sized bottle of Coke on the far side of the table without tasting it. My waitress brought my spaghetti while I was only half finished with my salad and asked if I did not want the travel-sized bottle of Coke? I said "No, not for $2.00 I don't!", with a chuckling smirk in my voice. The spaghetti and sauce was actually pretty good. The meatball was drek. For the money the portion was small. As I finished my poor choice of a meal, I felt suffocated by dusty, old pretension that might have flown three, or four, or five decades ago, but was just sad and pathetic today. Sunny Italy Cafe is attempting to monetize it's moldy, faux grandeur into a palatable fleecing operation that convinces customers that they should feel good about dropping their money here. Their failure becomes more absurd as the years pass, they have become a parody of "added value" through mock solicitousness and third-rate elegance. As I paid, the aged hostess asked how was my meal? I said simply and honestly "Disappointing." She said "What was wrong?", I replied that my review would be on yelp within 24 hours. She asked "What is yelp?"

My daughter loves this place, I think the red sauce tastes a little off but to each their own. Pork Chop was delicious and everything else tasted great. Service was alright. They were busy and the server seemed newer. Overall was a good night.

I grew up in South Bend and this is absolutely my favorite restaurant! Great Italian food with a family feel. The food is fresh and expertly prepared. The wait staff and the welcome staff are so friendly. Our server was fantastic. She kept coming back to make sure we were taken care of took care of our drinks our food encouraged us to get dessert(we were so full by the time we finished eating our meal we didn't have room). We got wine to drink and then started with salads with homemade salad dressing. I got French and my wife got the house creamy Italian. Fresh excellent a nice size serving. In addition, they brought fresh Italian bread, crispy on the outside super soft on the inside just incredible. And for dinner, we both got spaghetti. I got mine with meatballs and my wife got hers with mushrooms. Again as great as I remember and couldn't stop eating until it was gone. The meatballs are solid and taste. Excellent the sauce is a little sweet, very thick and rich. Just an amazing dining experience. Highly recommended.

I've been coming here for 50 years they have a very authentic Italian flavor I used to come and get their sauce in My Pan and go home and make spaghetti when my kids were young and I didn't want to take them to the restaurant it's always a treat for us

This place has always been the number one place for good Italian food in the area. The manicotti is fantastic and the service is outstanding.

We enjoyed a nice dinner here-- the ambiance is casual and the server we had a super friendly and knowledgeable about every dishes ingredients and prep. We ordered the chicken Parm and spaghetti with sausage sauce and mushrooms. The entrees come with bread and a side salad. A nice Pinot Noir complemented our entrees. The flavors were excellent and the only knock I have was that my spaghetti portion was more side than entree. Overall a great place to enjoy scratch sauce Italian!

Nicole was great! Not only did She give us great service, but a great tour of the kitchen as well! The food followed suit and was just as great! The manicotti was fantastic!

What a horrible experience. The waiter was the worst ever. When he brought our drinks out to start the night, he threw the napkin over people to where the drink was going to be. He never refilled water or even checked on us. He even mentioned 3 times the roads are really bad like he wanted us to leave. He needs to find a new job. Even though the food was good there are better places to spend my money. We will not be back.

Sunny Italy is the best hidden gem! The entire staff made you feel like you had come home for dinner. The food was delicious, and we all left full and happy. The vibe is a very classic Italian dining room full of history and memories of past celebrations. I can't wait to go back!

The linguine and clams were phenomenal. Old school Italian with exceptional service. We were able to tour the kitchen, which was absolutely spotless!

Wow! Just.... OMG! WOW!!!!!! If you want authentic - with a capital "A" - this is the only place to go for real Italian food. Chef Sis and her family have been creating the finest fare in The Bend for almost 100 years! Michelle is who you want taking you on this culinary journey no doubt. Get in here.... I mean RUN DON'T WALK to this hole in the wall. You will thank me later.

Food, service excellent. Red/White checker tablecloths. Comfortable, laid back atmosphere. My favorite Italian restaurant in South Bend.

Great food, service and unique atmosphere . The checkered table cloths and chairs from at least the 40's. Oldest Italian in SB.

I don't know why they have such a low rating. It's crazy. Our service was attentive and friendly. Made one great suggestion after the other. Get the bruschetta. Get the toaster chicken. Get the ravioli. All salad dressings are made in-house. Garlic was our favorite. Get the bruschetta--yes, I said it twice. The restaurant is alimony a hundred years old. It's only open 3 nights a week. Thank goodness I didn't check Yelp and instead was looking on Google maps. You can take your wine home if you don't finish it. And the wine prices are very reasonable.

Visited this South Bend institution purely by chance while exploring with my favorite 80 year old and couldn't be happier. From the minute we arrived where they jumped in to help us navigate the steps with a walker, we knew we'd made a good choice. The place was abuzz with local folks enjoying this great red sauce Italian restaurant that specializes in fried chicken, fries and serves delicious meatballs with potatoes. Not what I'm used to coming from the East Coast, but we were not disappointed. Ravioli with their homemade tomato sauce was rich and delicious and the spaghetti with olive and oil delivered a great garlic punch. To top it off, they had homemade German chocolate cake or carrot cake for dessert! Epic!

My family has been coming here forever!! The marinara sauce is outstanding, and the people are wonderful! The place is so cute, definitely come.

I really enjoyed the authentic feel of Sunny Italy Cafe. Red and white table cloths, warm bread, amazing homemade dressing and the pasta! Homemade Ravioli This was my first visit and. came recommended by a waiter who had worked there for 25 - 30 years. How could I not try it? They carry a good wine selection by the glass or bottle. The waitress was very attentive to me while she waited on a large party in the upper room. Looks like they can accommodate larger groups normally and my server handled this party or one like a pro while taking care of many others. I'll be back!

Hidden gem outside South Bend. Hands down the best bruschetta I've had in the States for a very long time. I had the half spaghetti half ravioli and it was good. Heavier sauce than I was used to but good.

Food, service and ambiance are amazing. This place is a throwback and a real gem! The fried chicken is the best I have ever had and don't sleep on the American potatoes.

Delicious old school Italian restaurant in South Bend, Indiana home to Notre Dame. This place is always hopping during football weekend and the food is always your traditional Italian entrees. We have been coming here for years (20+) and it always delicious. Service is wonderful everyone greets your with a smile and ready to serve. The have a complete bat which is always nice when you have a big party, everyone has their special cocktail makes the night go smoother. Their antipasto is delicious and huge it is enough for 6 people truly. We always get at least one for the table and another thing that you must get for sharing is a couple sides of meatballs they are amazing, there again traditional italian recipe! Our table had a array of items chicken parmesan was amazing, pasta with meats sauce was so good I took half back to the hotel for a snack. Their pan fried chicken is to die for, be prepared it takes 20/25 minutes because they cook it fresh but it is well worth the wait.

First time customer. Very friendly, efficient waitress - who was also doing bartending duty. Food was very tasty, good portions and served at perfect temperature. Enjoyed my mostaccioli . Next time I'd like to try the pork chops!

Incredibly disappointed in my first (and likely only) experience with this restaurant. Sat evening after a home ND game and it was a very busy spot. I ordered the $24 shrimp scampi and I received this meal. 3 shrimp and lukewarm noodles. I can understand the noodles being a bit cool as we were a party of 14, but only 3 shrimp for $24!?!? I was floored and am so not impressed that I don't see ever coming back!

What a nice restaurant to go to and have a little pasta for a charitable cause. Sunny Italy has been in South Bend FOREVER and serves delicious food in a casual atmosphere. My friend and I went as we saw they were participating in a restaurant charity week, giving proceeds to the local Children's Hospital. Generous owners in a comfort filled environment - Lovely evening.

I used to see the "Sunny Italy Cafe" billboard on old 31 (now HWY 933) near the stateline when I was much younger. I thought about going there a few times in the last 30 years, but never actually did. I guess it was just an instantly forgettable passing thought, and I never heard ANY buzz about the place. Tonight I stopped in for dinner. I arrived at 5:45, the parking lot was almost empty on a Friday evening. (uh oh!) There were two other tables seated and more employees than customers. Right away my skin began to crawl, as I am HIGHLY ALLERGIC to pretension and faux eleganza. The inside looks like a caricature of any 1940's Italian mob film. I thought it stupidly ironic that a restaurant called SUNNY Italy is so dark and dingy inside. The hostess (remember they had two out of thirty tables seated!) walked me to the darkest corner of the dining room. I vetoed this for a spot near the front windows. I knew I wanted the spaghetti with meat sauce. The prices merit special attention: the spaghetti with a nothing special salad (97% just lettuce) and a small loaf of bread cost $15.00. Adding meat sauce was $3.00 extra. The tiny, little gag-sized (8 ounces) bottle of Coke (no refills!) was $2.00. (See pix) I reflexively asked for the house Italian dressing, the waitress repeated back "CREAMY Italian", I said "No, I don't like creamy dressings", she said that's how our house dressing is made. She then SUGGESTED plain vinegar and oil. I didn't like the sound of that so said I will try the creamy house dressing. Five minutes later she brought me a plate of lettuce drenched with plain vinegar and oil. I took a photo for this review and set it on the far side of my table without tasting it. At this same time she brought the little clown-sized bottle of Coke and I uncontrollably laughed as she set it in front of me along with a glass full of ice. I asked her "How much is this wonderful vintage costing me?!" She replied $2.00. As I continued to chuckle at this absurdity she sensed my disdain and offered "The small bottles are a TRADITION with us. Most people DON'T LIKE the big bottles." OH, I SEE!!!, it's a TRADITION! It isn't just you fleecing your customers by serving stingy, small portions for the ridiculous prices- IT'S TRADITION!!! And certainly no one will argue, mock or otherwise impune a TRADITION because that might some how cross into some imaginary cultural disrepect that scares all kowtowed Americans to death! What a steaming load of B.S.!!! Most people DON'T LIKE the big bottles??? When and where do Americans NOT like things big and more? Why do you think almost every restaurant in America offers a giant 64 ounce drink size or at least free refills?!!! This tiny, little joke-sized bottle is nothing more than a money grab as Sunny Italy is counting on people needing more than two Dixie Cups of drink with their meals. I set the doll-sized bottle of Coke on the far side of the table without tasting it. My waitress brought my spaghetti while I was only half finished with my salad and asked if I did not want the travel-sized bottle of Coke? I said "No, not for $2.00 I don't!", with a chuckling smirk in my voice. The spaghetti and sauce was actually pretty good. The meatball was drek. For the money the portion was small. As I finished my poor choice of a meal, I felt suffocated by dusty, old pretension that might have flown three, or four, or five decades ago, but was just sad and pathetic today. Sunny Italy Cafe is attempting to monetize it's moldy, faux grandeur into a palatable fleecing operation that convinces customers that they should feel good about dropping their money here. Their failure becomes more absurd as the years pass, they have become a parody of "added value" through mock solicitousness and third-rate elegance. As I paid, the aged hostess asked how was my meal? I said simply and honestly "Disappointing." She said "What was wrong?", I replied that my review would be on yelp within 24 hours. She asked "What is yelp?"

The food is excellent as is the experienced wait staff. We have been coming here for many years and it never disappoints. This was even an ND home game weekend. Nice cozy atmosphere, old school Italian.

My boyfriend and I had a very strange experience here a couple nights ago. When we got home we both got really sick, head spins, slurred speech, nausea, and poor motor skills. Our waitress seemed like she was having a bad day. I believe that she and the bartended drugged us.

Food was good but not enough. The service was great but left hungry. I'm from the New York area originally and the menu was ordinary and just basic pasta.

Wow this place is old. So much history my mom used to come here with her grandma and grandpa. First time here in a long time and it didn't disappoint. All four of us enjoy our meals and they were all different. I definitely would come back.

Just no good. Nothing much else I can say. One dish and done. Never going back. Sausage, sauce, and meatball is bland and tasteless. I just lost $21. I guess college kids would like this. Not for the sophisticated tongue. On a good note, the salad was good.

Don't believe the reviews. This place has a fantastic red sauce that you need to try. Go for the half ravioli, half spaghetti to try a bit more. Been there for over 90 years. My dad will drive 2 hours just to eat here

Cocktails not watered down, generous pour. Good food. Chioppino is perfect. Nice and quiet, good atmosphere. Friendly staff & bartender. Good service.

My wife and I were looking for a place to host a wedding rehearsal dinner for our daughter's wedding. We needed a private dining area that would comfortable seat 35 people. We looked at Sunny Italy because that was the place my wife's parents were engaged many years ago. I'm sure glad we looked! I had not been there in decades and had forgotten what a hidden gem this locally owned and operated restaurant is. We had the rehearsal dinner there in May 2021 and it was wonderful. The food was hot, delicious, and authentic. And the service went way beyond my expectations. Especially for a group our size. And the cost of the event was very reasonable considering the quality of food and service provided. I can guarantee this will not be my last time to dine there.

Imagine your grandmother cooked your dinner-- that's what you get here, not necessarily in a bad way. The pasta sauce and salad dressing were excellent, but the application of oils and dressings a bit heavy handed. Overall an enjoyable experience, and the bread was warm, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, delicious and plentiful.

This place is home. It was "restaurant week" and I had an open Friday and thought, I'll go by myself and give it a chance. From the moment I walked in the door, I was greeted with a smell of home cooked love. The aroma guided me to the table and the staff greeted me with familial grace. The homemade dressings made a simple salad extraordinary. The warm bread was heavenly. And wow! The sauce!! I'm fairly certain my grandma and aunts were in the kitchen. Each bite was perfectly seasoned and delicious! I literally licked the plate (to the couple at the table next to me who appeared offended, I'm not sorry for my actions. The sauce was delicious and I NEEDED to finish it). My only complaint about this restaurant is that it tasted so much like home, I was in constant fear that one of my aunts was going to come around the corner and squeeze my cheeks! I could not recommend this place more highly.

We had a wonderful dinner here while traveling. The wait staff was friendly and fun. The food was amazing! I would recommend this place to anyone who loves to eat! We will go there again next time we are in South Bend, IN.

Really enjoyed the food and atmosphere at the oldest Italian eatery in South Bend! It was recommended to us by the owner's daughter, and we are so glad we checked it out. The place has an old-school, family-style, friendly feel to it. The food was amazing! I had the best tasting, most tender chicken cacciatore I've ever had! Love that the dressings and sauces are all house made and fresh.

I will admit I am a bit of a food snob... My wife is from Calabria.. But... Industrial grade Italian food.. They best thing on the table was the butter. I will say my waitress was helpful and pleasant.

Visited during the first part of Winter Restaurant week and I couldn't have enjoyed my experience more!! Cute atmosphere accompanied by friendly staff and of course, delicious traditional Italian eats. Thank you for the lovely experience. I'll certainly be back sooner rather than later..with company!

Very overpriced and to be quite honest, not that great. Small portions and menu has limited choices. The bar was very limited on cocktails also. I wouldn't go back. Very disappointing.

AMAZING FOOD! Sunny Italy serves beautiful, classic Italian fare, simple - but unique to this family and their restaurant. Service is always great and the food is always phenomenal. The broiled chicken is the BEST!

This place has horrible reviews on Yelp but we came to try it out because it's celebrating 90 years of business and you have to be doing something right to accomplish that! It was busy yet quiet enough to hear your table conversation, charming old school decor which is fine. Friendly staff. We had calamari for an appetizer and I'm not typically a fan but it was really good. Salads with house Italian and house made creamy garlic, both were great. We had ravioli and spaghetti and meatballs, both were very tasty. Finished it off with a homemade cannoli, it was good. We will be back No pics because we ate too quickly, it was that good

We've been going here for over 30 years. Never a disappointment! It's become an all time family favorite. It's the one place my kids want to go to each year for their birthdays. It feels like home. My mother-in-law came here as a child with her parents. Our favorite dish, the spaghetti, of course.

Our entire family gathered to honor our Dad, grandfather, and great papa, totaling about 20 in attendance. Every aspect of the evening was top shelf, and the food was outstanding. It is often hard to please a large group, especially having ages from 2-85...( It was Dad's 85th..),but the evening was a hit, and we all left the restaurant very full and pleased. Special thanks to the entirety of the staff, for making it so very special, and sharing the evening with our family. It was our sole intent, to keep it "just family", and low key. It was just that, but with excellent food, and service. With gratitude, (I will speak for ALL of us) The Albert family. Brent

No flowers, no candles and 15 bucks for spaghetti and meatball. Yes.. one meatball. Our server was lovely though.

This place has been around since the 50s and my grandparents used to go here way back when. If you want Italian food like your grandmother used to make, go here. The food is basic and simple. Also their tomato sauce isn't a traditional red sauce. It's more of a brown sauce and it's yummy. I had my rehearsal dinner here it they did an awesome job. I believe that the daughter is currently running the restaurant and she is only open a few nights a week and sometimes takes a few weeks off for vacation. So it would probably be a good idea to call ahead and see if they're open.

Traditional Italian. Salad dressings are delicious. We had spaghetti and marinara, spaghetti with Italian sausage, ravioli with meat sauce, and broiled chicken. The service was good, and it has a cozy atmosphere. We didn't order dessert but other tables did and it looked good. We will be back!

I must say, I was terribly disappointed. Service was ok, the Waitress seemed to stand there and try to butt in while everyone was talking and having a good time. For a $15 entree, I expected a whole lot more. I got the Spaghetti and Ravioli and it was so-so...probably won't be going back since there are so many other better options for Italian in The Bend.

Sunny Italy is a true gem in South Bend. Real, classic, authentic Italian food with a wonderful, comfortable atmosphere. I was privileged enough to have my wedding rehearsal dinner here in August, just as my parents did 40 years earlier, and Sunny Italy made my family and my husband's family from Argentina feel so at home with delicious food and a memorable, fabulous evening. I would recommend Sunny Italy to anyone traveling through or living in South Bend for its great soups, classic pastas, and friendly, caring waitstaff. Thanks for everything, Sunny Italy!

Wow....I came in from Chicago and stayed down the street and thought I'd give it a try. I am Italian from a Italian neighborhood and I make my own gravy. I wasn't expecting a 5 star restaurant but man this place was run down bad and I had ravioli and it was plain bad ...frozen I'm sure the place was so dirty and outdated. The carpet is gross and their was food all over the floor and remained there through my whole meal . It was dead in there and no one seemed to care. It's dark and dingy. It looks like it hasn't been updated since 1926. My server and the hostess were very nice. The salad was good and bread as well. I got 3 large raviolis for $14!!! The menu was quite pricey for the condition of the place . My raviolis were hard inside and just plain bad ... Cool location ...fix it up ...clean up the servers and the place ...start cooking fresh and put some passion into the food and business and this could be a gold mine ...call Robert Irvine and get rescued

We arrived at 7:00 on April 13 after Thomas T. and his snarky attitude had left. The restaurant was almost full as usual. Service and food were wonderful as usual.

Quite disappointing. Anemic, tired. Summary: A short distance from downtown. What could be a retro-hip Italian eatery shows its age and lack of interest in its customers. Lackluster, wildly overpriced food and tired decor. Best avoided until a much needed renovation. My experience: I ate here on a Thursday evening. The decor is a kind of 70's thing; accoustic tile ceiling, run-of the mill seating, plastic red and white checked tablecolths. Three middle-aged waitstaff in black pants and tux shirts. There are several tables in the front dining area; there's a rear dining area a few steps up that was empty. On the banquette separating the two areas is a row of artificial potted plants that are underlit with white light. This makes for a green glow that casts the diners in a Munsters-like pallor. Hmmm, not too appetizing. The menu is brief and lists your typical casual itialian fare, spaghetti with various sauces and toppings, veal and chicke parmesan, shrimp, a couple of fish entrees and the like. There's a small and unispired wine list. On this night there were no specials. I had the bruschetta to start, which was OK. And a glass of pinot noir; also OK. My entree was spaghetti with "homemade" sausage. At $25 bucks, I expected greatness; but I found it edible but not memorable in any way. For dessert, I asked the waiter what he recommended, and he steared me to the spumoni. It was, you know, ice cream. Whatever. The espresso was bland and not served with a lemon peel. If the food were a bit better, this might be fine for Grandma and Grandpa. My Free Advice: RENOVATE. Clean. Install a bar in the back and serve nice appetizers and more sophisticated wines. Get rid of the artificial plants. Hire a chef to update the menu and add a couple of fun dishes to the traditional stuff. Make the food worthy of the double-the-going-rate prices. Decide what you want to be: sophisticated and pricy, or causal and cheaper. As it is, all that''s left of the glory days is the pretense. This restaurant serves no purpose. For the price you can eat better and more sophisticated faire downtown. And there are better, cheaper casual Itialian eateries in the area.