Quick Take: Buona Sera- Smithtown, NY/ Overall Rating 4 Out of 5 Stars

Mr. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido Says: ****

Mrs. Guido's 2 Cents:

Buona Sera is brought to you by the same people as O Sole Mio, La Scala, Olio, Cafe Amici, Emilio's, Branchinelli's, soon to be Mario's, but shhh....we're not supposed to have figured that one out. For those not in the know, Buona Sera appears to be a bustling family owned Italian restaurant on busy Main Street Smithtown, but to crafty individuals such as myself it is a mini chain restaurant with a corporate-ish menu, just slightly less conspicuous than an Olive Garden or a Carraba's. That being said, Buona Sera is a great choice if you're not in the mood for Corporate Italian, but you're sick of going to your local neighborhood mom and pop shop. I prefer Buona Sera for dining, while I prefer O Sole Mio for pizza takeout, though Mr. Guido has slight distaste for both. Although Buona Sera does not get the noisy movie theater crowd that O Sole Mio does, it is still a busy, noisy atmosphere, which is why we don't go there that often. The chicken capriciosa is my favorite dish on the menu, breaded chicken cutlets with fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatos, served over mesclun greens in a balsamic vinegar dressing. It comes with a side of pasta or vegetable, and I always opt for the sauteed spinach. This is one of the few places that do not charge extra for vegetable, though they do charge extra for a different sauce on your side pasta. A way to circumvent this is to order the meal over pasta, or with the same sauce. The pasta purses are also a great dish, but it is a very heavy meal. On pasta nights, you can order this with a salad or soup, glass of house wine, and dessert, but the atmosphere is very hectic so be prepared. The eggplant rolletini is very well prepared, breaded but not crunchy. The chicken and broccoli rabe was a huge portion and very flavorful. The service was fast paced, and are accomodating in terms of hair in food mishaps, no questions asked new dish. Buona Sera is great for a quick fix Italian meal, but you have to be in the mood for this kind of dining experience otherwise you will leave feeling frantic.