by John Hambrick
The chain restautant experience can be quite a drag, although Olive Garden's bread is amazing. Take a walk on the other side of the tracks, to the historic Harmar area; no need for bolt cutters, Spagna's fine Italian restaurant is all that's needed to break the chain. Some say it isn’t as quiet as they would like, but with the exceptional service they provide, there doesn’t seem to be much room for complaining.
The chain restautant experience can be quite a drag, although Olive Garden's bread is amazing. Take a walk on the other side of the tracks, to the historic Harmar area; no need for bolt cutters, Spagna's fine Italian restaurant is all that's needed to break the chain. Some say it isn’t as quiet as they would like, but with the exceptional service they provide, there doesn’t seem to be much room for complaining.
Their menu is filled with a variety of appetizers: Calamari, Bruschetta, etc. And while waiting for the rest of the party enjoy any of their tasty drafts at the bar.
Maybe the gold-ringed Stella Artois glass will do it, maybe a taller, slightly fuller Peroni, or maybe the decision is to play the red coat and get ‘The Original Pale Ale’ Bass. Whatever the decision may be, it will likely be a good one.
The entrées are well priced, a normal dish of spaghetti runs just under $9. There are plenty of different sauces, if meat sauce is something of interest, a very hearty plate of sphagetti will be on it's way. Their serving sizes are more than plentiful; a box is usually in order. On any given day they have an entire dessert tray, the classic cannoli is highly recommended.
The last cool thing about Spagna’s is that it’s right next door to the Harmar Tavern. This place is more like a hole-in-the-wall; home of the “the best bologna sandwich”. Together these two restaurants team up to make some of the best food, service and hospitality in the area. The Harmar area adds a very particular character to Marietta, the small-town vibes can give a feeling of nostalgia even if it's the first time being there. A very cool atomsphere; park in downtown Marietta and take the walk old train bridge to great air, people, and food.