Mirabito's Italian Restaurant - North Liberty, Iowa

It’s not every day my hubby and I are treated to dinner…especially to a restaurant dinner. But recently our friend Dorothy asked us to join her at a place she’s been meaning to try all summer, and we were thrilled to accept her invitation for an early evening meal.

Mirabito’s Italian Restaurant is located in an unpretentious strip mall location along busy highway 965 in North Liberty, Iowa. Nothing spectacular from the outside.

But as soon as we opened the door we felt a warm and cozy vibe in the small dining room…as if we had entered an Italian Nonna’s kitchen. And the smells of simmering red sauce and roasted garlic led us to believe we might be in for a treat…compliments of that Grandma in the kitchen! (The only thing missing was Frank Sinatra crooning in the background…but I was told later they DO sometimes play his music.)

We began our meal with a glass of wine…Cabernet for me, and Moscato for Hubby and Dorothy…and we began to examine the menu. And it wasn’t long before we found something we all wanted to try.

Dorothy…Deep in thought!

We all started with a salad, and I must say my Caesar Salad was absolutely delicious. The homemade dressing was loaded with garlic (love it!) and the greens were perfectly dressed. All of those salad ingredients were artfully combined to make for a great beginning to our meal.

Our waiter, Steve, arrived with some fresh-baked and still-warm focaccia. And he made more of that salty and tangy Parmigiano-Reggiano rain down onto our bread plates so we could mix in some fruity extra virgin olive oil and red pepper flakes to create our own dipping sauce for that yummy bread.

We were told the bread is baked several times each day to insure freshness…an extra step Nonna would approve of!

And what about those entrees we chose?

I selected their Italian Farmer’s Pasta…filled with fresh vegetables including mushrooms, roasted red peppers, artichokes, tomatoes and broccoli. And I added one meatball just for the heck of it. The pasta was lightly dressed (the way I like it!) in a delicious and well balanced sauce of olive oil, fresh herbs and garlic, with a hint of cheese…and I’m guessing a splash of white wine. The meatball was rather dense but very tasty.

The pasta was just slightly more than al dente, but the flavors were spot-on. I would absolutely order it again.

(So…how good was it? SO good, in fact, that I just ate the leftovers this morning…for breakfast!)

Dorothy ordered the Manicotti…and she enjoyed it. She also had plenty left over for a lunch another day. An interesting twist to that dish at Mirabito’s? They make with a crepe.

And hubby?
He ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli…and he added chicken to the entree.
Another winner, according to him…and HE ate the whole serving!

Our waiter, Steve, was attentive without being obtrusive…

Our waiter, Steve, was efficient and knowledgeable…

And co-owner Terri Mirabito stopped by our table to check on our meal and to engage in some friendly conversation. (Turns out that Nonna in the kitchen is actually her husband! HE is the talented and experienced chef who prepared our delicious meal.)

Owner Terri Mirabito made us feel welcome…

The decor added to our lively conversation during our meal, and we noticed how many people stopped in to pick up carry-out orders. And we also noticed how many of the customers seemed to be “regulars”…always a good sign for a small restaurant.