Mia’s Pizzas in Bethesda will reopen Tuesday night as Alatri Bros., an Italian eatery offering an expanded version of Mia’s menu, co-owner Roberto Pietrobono said Monday.
The restaurant at 4926 Cordell Ave., which closed about a week ago for a complete redesign of the interior, will feature pizzas that are similar to those that were offered by Mia’s, Pietrobono said, and will also offer more small plates and healthy options.
The Pietrobono family took over Mia’s Pizzas in August and has run it under its former name, according to Roberto Pietrobono. Roberto and his brother Riccardo Pietrobono also own the Olazzo Italian restaurants in Bethesda and Silver Spring and are owners, along with Marc Miranian, of Gringos & Mariachis, next to Alatri.
Alatri Bros.—named after the town in Italy where the Pietrobono family has its roots—will open for dinner Tuesday and will stick to Mia’s hours after that: closed Mondays but open from 11:30 a.m. to about 9:30 p.m. weekdays and until 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Roberto Pietrobono said family members wanted a smooth transition process so they have kept the staff from Mia’s.
Alatri Bros, with its white-brick walls and green tones, will have a brighter look than Mia’s while keeping the rustic atmosphere, Pietrobono said.
The new restaurant also will offer lower prices than Mia’s, especially for lunch, he said. Lunch pizzas will be $10 to $12 and dinner pizzas $11 to $14, with small plates going for $6 to $10. The menu will include a vegetarian burger for $10 and a spinach salad for $9.
A pizza and burger on the new menu of Alatri Bros. Credit: Violetta Markelou
Alatri Bros. will also expand the venue’s alcohol selection. In addition to serving wine, the restaurant will sell cocktails and draft beers, Pietrobono said. Alatri Bros. will also host happy hours and other weekly specials. The restaurant has six beers on tap and Pietrobono said the owners plan to keep increasing its local beer list.
The restaurant seats about 55 inside and about 25 more outside on the patio space it shares with Gringos & Mariachis. A second location of Gringos & Mariachis is planned for the spring in Park Potomac.
“We thought it was a good opportunity to be next door,” Pietrobono said. “There’s always overflow and it works well because they work well together.”
Pietrobono was already a partial owner of the building that houses Mia’s when Mia’s chef and owner Melissa Ballinger informed the brothers last year that she wouldn’t renew her lease. The Pietrobonos announced in August that they decided to keep the space.
“We’ve always talked about doing a pizza place,” Pietrobono said, “and the opportunity arose and we saw some ways we thought we could make it better.”