La Nonna's Italian Restaurant Opens in Peachtree Corners

I just love finding new places to eat so you can imagine my delight in finding , a new dining spot right here in Peachtree Corners. It took over the old Claypot Diner location in the Market Place Shopping Center, just a few doors down from the Peachtree Corners Tag Office.

This is real Italian cooking. You won't find pizza on the menu -- but if you're looking for authentic home-styled Italian dishes then you've come to the right place. On the menu at La Nonna's are pasta classics, seafood, steak and chicken entrees. There are also several vegetarian dishes.

The restaurant is a new venture for owners Mario and Doris Zaino, both New York transplants, who decided that there just wasn't a good restaurant around that served really authentic Italian food.

So Mario took a number of time-tested family recipes handed down from his Italian grandmother and created a menu that I'm sure his Nonna would approve of - and Peachtree Corners diners are the benefactors.

"I've always had a love of good food and have been frustrated that I couldn't find good authentic Italian food here," said Mario Zaino.

He and his wife mulled it over for awhile and Doris Zaino finally said, "Let's open a restaurant." Although Doris is fairly new to the restaurant business, she's been preparing the dishes handed down by Mario's grandmother since the couple wed 22 years ago. She oversees the preparations in the kitchen along with three professional chefs.

Mario has been in the restaurant business since the tender age of 13 when his older brother convinced him to help out in the Long Island restaurant where he was working. Together Mario and Doris Zaino bring us a brand new restaurant to enjoy real Italian fair.

La Nonna's serves lunch and dinner and also offers a Pasta Bar where you can build your own pasta dish. You choose the pasta, meat, vegetable and select from a variety of sauces.

For lunch and dinner there is a wide choice including Chicken La Nonna, which features chicken breast sauteed with a sherry wine, a touch of cream tomato sauce, all topped with melted mozzarella cheese and broccoli and served with the vegetable of the day. This dish, I've decided, is my favorite.

The interior has been completely renovated and is tastefully decorated with a welcoming fireplace, soft lighting and comfortable seating. The restaurant has seating for 80-90 and includes a semi-private seating area for private parties.

The service is prompt, the wait staff pleasant and very knowledgeable if you have any questions or need suggestions in selecting from the menu.

Lunch prices range from $8.95 to $12.95 and dinner prices range from $10.95 to $18.95.

Oh, and don't forget the dessert, choose from Tiramisu, Kat's Vesuvius, Cheese Cake, and Cannoli, all prepared on site. Prices range from $4.00 to $6.00.

A youth menu is offered for $5.75, selections include Ravioli, Spaghetti and meatballs, Italian Chicken Tenders with pasta, Fettuccine Alfredo and Stuffed Shells.

Beverages offered: coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, soft drinks, ice tea, mineral water, chocolate milk. The restaurant expects to have its beer and wine license sometime in January.

For more information, including a complete list of menu items, visit La Nonna's website.

La Nonna's Italian Restaurant
6135 Peachtree Pkwy, Suite 101, Peachtree Corners, 30092
Telephone: 770 453-7732
Open:Mon-Fri: 11 a.m.- 10 p.m., Sat. 4-10 p.m., Sun: 12-8 p.m.