If you're someone who craves home-cooked food while and are planning a party, reserving space at a local restaurant might be the way to go. Mom and pop Italian restaurants are some of the most fun places to be and offer some great home cooked food that everyone attending your party can enjoy. This guide provides some information on what to look for in a great locally owned mom and pop Italian restaurant or cafe.

Infectious Personality

One of the first things you notice when you walk through the door of a locally owned Italian restaurant is the atmosphere. The place is loud with traditional Italian music playing, lots of laughter and maybe even a demanding chef. You can usually see the kitchen from the dining room and you're greeted happily.

Small Handwritten Menu

The menus at these mom and pop Italian restaurants are small and handwritten. The owners of these establishments want to use up the ingredients they have each day. What this means for you is that, while you might have fewer dishes to choose from, what you're eating is fresh every day.

Another aspect of the menu that you'll appreciate is the fact that most of the recipes are handed down throughout the family's generations. Special recipe meatballs, spaghetti sauce and Alfredo sauce are just a few of the generational menu items you might find. Some mom and pop Italian restaurants offer their own Chianti created from a handed-down recipe as well.

Local Ingredients

Many mom and pop Italian restaurants use locally grown ingredients. Some items do have to be shipped in, like the finest olive oils and spices. The flour used to make the pasta may be shipped in as well. However, they typically obtain these ingredients from a local farmer:

• tomatoes
• onions
• peppers
• beef
• chicken

Buying local ingredients further helps the restaurant owners provide you with fresh dishes daily. Keep in mind that whether the ingredients the owners use are locally grown depends on the specific growing season. Therefore, some of the above ingredients are shipped in or workers can the ingredients, such as tomatoes, so that they can use them later.

Call your local mom and pop Italian restaurants and ask if they do private parties. Most do require a reservation to hold a private spot for your party or to rent the entire place out to you for a couple hours. Everyone in your party will be treated like family, and it's a great way to add to the memories.