“I like to call it ‘Italian with a twist’ because none of the dishes that we have are traditional,” Gozzo said.
A spin on the classic dish, Mia Bella’s seafood lasagna—which includes layers of lasagna noodles, cheese and seafood topped with lobster cream sauce, clams and jumbo shrimp—is one of the restaurant’s bestsellers, Gozzo said. Another popular item is the chicken Parmigiana, which is chicken Parmesan but stuffed with cheese and veggies, topped with tomato basil pesto cream sauce and served on a bed of angel hair pasta.
In addition to its Italian entrees, soups and salads, the restaurant serves brunch items, such as Italian ricotta pancakes. Mia Bella also offers a full bar with a wide selection of wine and signature cocktails, including a limoncello martini and a watermelon margarita.
Mia Bella opened in 2008 as a franchise of the Mia Bella Restaurants Group. Gozzo was first introduced to the business when she became an employee in 2014.
Originally from Venezuela, Gozzo has a degree in accounting but said she had to start out working entry-level jobs in restaurants because her first language is Spanish.
“I don’t know, something [called to] me,” Gozzo said. “Maybe ... because my dad is Italian, and I have it in my
veins. ... But I walked in, and I fell in love.”
From host, Gozzo worked her way up to server and then to employee trainer, event coordinator, assistant manager, general manager and finally owner.
In late 2018, Gozzo purchased the restaurant from its previous owner. She said her staff, customers and the leaders at the Mia Bella Restaurant Group motivated her to work her way toward owning the restaurant.
“Even though I was far away from my family, most of the time, I never felt alone,” Gozzo said. “The customers who come here, they treated me as family. It made me so happy to see them.”
Mia Bella Trattoria
110 Vintage Park Blvd., Ste. A, Houston
281-251-8930
www.miabellarestaurants.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
