About

Welcome to Ita (Italy) vie (Life)

Maria Misseri, born in Palermo, Sicily, lives a life defined by the fusion of family and fresh food. She moved to America with her grandparents as a toddler in pursuit of their "American Dream." Her grandfather, Salvatore Cucuzza, worked in a ricotta factory in Bridgeport, PA, next door to the Conte Luna pasta factory that employed her grandmother, Rosa Badalamenti.

As the youngest of eight children, Maria grew up with her siblings as her role models. She vividly recalls standing on a chair in the kitchen, first watching, then participating in the preparation of a great variety of fresh foods for her family to share.

One of her fondest memories is cooking arancini, a classic Sicilian snack, with her family. "We made them together around the table, and that's what I think I enjoyed the most," she says. Maria, her sisters, mother, and grandmother would all stand in a line— one person dipped them, another filled them, and another breaded them. "It took a long time to make them, but we would eat them really fast!"

Maria has over 30 years of experience in the restaurant business, both opening and managing establishments. Even today, she continues to refine and explore her culinary art, as can be seen and tasted by the wide selection and ever-changing varieties in Itavie's daily specials and dessert case.

Today, the recipes and culinary strategies that are generations old are alive in Itavie's offerings, located in Spotsylvania Courthouse Village, or as Maria calls it, "La Piazza." Itavie is only nine miles from Historic Downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia.

A piazza is an open square in an Italian town and serves as the center for locals and the traveling public. In many of Italy's piazzas, you'll find cafes, restaurants, and either a church or town hall on the main piazza. Many of Italy's towns and cities have beautiful main squares with decorative statues or fountains.

Maria is very proud of her Italian roots as well as her American upbringing. European culture stirred into the "melting pot" of America is a key ingredient of Itavie. This is why the menu features Italian desserts, French dishes, and American comfort food. Itavie is a very personal projection of Maria, one that she has always dreamed of sharing with everyone.