At La Magnolia Trattoria Italiana, customers are treated like family and owner Genc Krasniqi goes out of his way to ensure diners enjoy their experience.

"I have some customers who say, 'We've had everything. What should I order?" said Krasniqi. "I say, 'Close the menu. Tell me what you like. Pick a pasta, pick a sauce, pick the vegetables you want with it, and I will make it special."

La Magnolia emphasizes fresh ingredients, including homemade sauces and dough. The restaurant's marinara is made with 14 different herbs and three types of tomatoes—fancy grape, ground tomatoes and whole peeled tomatoes—and is slow cooked for 26 hours. The restaurant also serves traditional Sicilian-style garlic rolls, called knots, with olive oil and herbs.

Krasniqi learned to make Italian food while working for an Italian family at their New York-based restaurant. He inherited their authentic recipes. After moving to Texas, Krasniqi changed a few ingredients in some of the recipes to adjust to southern-style cooking, including making the sauces less tangy and the marinara sauce sweeter, he said. He removed 20 percent of the vinegar to the house salad dressing, a tomato-based vinaigrette.

The restaurant's thin-crust New York-style pizza is a customer favorite. La Magnolia also serves gluten-free pizza.

"We add anything to the pizza," Krasniqi said. "You name it, we'll make it."

La Magnolia offers customers exclusive Italian wines, Italian espresso and 14 different desserts, including tiramisu, chocolate chip cannoli and three different varieties of cheesecake. La Magnolia has a special, six-layer dark chocolate cake that is not on the menu but is given to customers on their birthdays. The rich cake is made with chocolate imported from Switzerland.

The atmosphere at La Magnolia is sophisticated and inviting, but also low-key, clean and kid-friendly. Customers can dress-up or come in shorts, Krasniqi said. Big band music is played quietly in the small dining room. La Magnolia has a room in the back of the restaurant available to large parties and often hosts wedding rehearsals.

Krasniqi enjoys being part of Magnolia and giving back to the community when he can. During the fires in the Magnolia area in 2011, Krasniqi donated all the food he had at his restaurant to the firefighters and other officials at the command center setup at Magnolia West High School.

"I donated everything in my freezers," he said. "I cooked all that food and just dropped it off. I thought, 'I am 36 and healthy and strong. I can go and help.' I kept cooking and taking food, cooking and taking food."

That's what you do when you are part of a community, Krasniqi said.

"We love Magnolia," he said. "We know the families. They know my kids. It's a fantastic location. We couldn't be happier."

Lunch Special

$5.95

Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Choice of 14 pasta dishes, served with fresh bread and choice of salad or soup.

Dinner Special

Three-course meal for $10

Monday through Wednesday only

Meal includes:

• drink (tea, soda or water)
• soup or salad
• choose from nine pasta dishes including lasagna and manicotti
• choose one slice of cheesecake (strawberry, New York plain or chocolate swirl)

Customer comments

"I like it because it's true Italian food. It's fabulous. We love everything."

-Melissa McConnell

"Everything is good that I've had here."

-Judy Cottrell

"They have a wonderful staff [and] you feel welcomed, and the food is never a disappointment. They have the best pizza in town."

-Dona Hunt

"It's good food, quiet. And the cleanest and best looking restaurant in town."

-Victor Gomez

18535 FM 1488, Ste. 140, Magnolia 281-259-9197, www.lamagnoliaitaliana.com, Hours: 11 a.m.–10