Welcome to Mario’s Italian Restaurant

When I moved from North Caldwell, New Jersey, to Dubuque 25 years ago, Mario’s was the first restaurant I visited. After a wonderful dinner that was just like the Italian food I grew up on; Mario came to the table and in his big, booming voice said, “How was’a your’a dinner?” I jokingly answered, “mezzo e mezzo,” which means “half and half” in Italian and is a way of saying good but maybe not so much. Mario looked at me for a few seconds and then said, “Ahh, go back’a East!”