Mike’s Italian Restaurant on Route 1 Closes Its Doors

For anyone who has ever lived in Mount Vernon or simply driven down Route 1 on a regular basis, the sight of Mike’s Italian Restaurant (also known as Mike's Ristorante Italiano) at the corner of Richmond Highway and Buckman Road is as familiar as the sight of the Washington Monument – it has pretty much always been there. But that is soon to change.

The restaurant, which opened in 1927, has been Mount Vernon’s very own spot for traditional Italian cuisine, but as of July 30, it has stopped operating.

The menu was always long on delectable Italian dishes--veal, pasta, seafood, tiramisu. The restaurant was also known for its generous Tuesday and Wednesday evening dinners-for-two for just $27.99. The restaurant, owned and run by owner/chef Luigi Tonizzo, hosted diners for special evenings each New Year's Eve.

According to a Facebook message posted by Robert Rocco Tonizzo, a member of the Tonizzo family that owned and operated the restaurant beginning in 1975, the news came on short notice due to requirements from the new tenant. No further details were disclosed.

Telephone and fax lines, as well as the Web site, are still working. In addition to the Facebook message, confirmation of the restaurant’s closing comes from a note at the entrance, informing customers that the owners are retiring.

Although the restaurant changed owners in 1975, the name and the location remained the same for nearly a century.

An update will be provided as soon as the new business is confirmed.