2021 Best Italian Restaurant: Casa Mia Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria  

After nearly 31 years in Tri-Cities, Casa Mia continues to out-compete multinational chains with its handcrafted Italian cuisine based on recipes developed by Italian-American immigrants to New York in the early 1900s.

Founded in 1952 in Hoquiam on the west coast of Washington, Casa Mia founder Phil Bellofatto aided in bringing that cultural heritage and food tradition to the Pacific Northwest. Casa Mia has since spread across the state, with Casa Mia opening its first franchise in Kennewick in 1993.

Back when they first opened, Italian food was predominately consumed in the form of marinara-style spaghetti in a can.

Even harder to imagine is a time when pizza wasn’t a primary facet of the American diet’s melting pot, but that was the case when Casa Mia first opened.

The restaurant quickly changed that in all of the communities where it opened up shop, bringing hand-tossed pizza dough made fresh daily, topped with six-hours-simmered sauce derived from Phil’s own recipe and baked to perfection in a brick hearth.

Today, Casa Mia continues to carry on Phil’s legacy and focus on tradition through the classic recipes that have led to the restaurant’s ongoing success.

1. Casa Mia Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria

2541 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick

509-582-0440

607 George Washington Way, Richland

509-946-0500

casamiarestaurants.com

2. Olive Garden

1420 N. Louisiana Ave., Kennewick

509-374-3500

olivegarden.com

3. Bella Italia

7000 W. Okanogan Pl., Kennewick

509-783-1701

bellaitaliadining.com

This story was originally published June 3, 2021 at 10:19 PM with the headline "2021 Best Italian Restaurant: Casa Mia Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria  ."