Preeminent restaurateur Tony Mazzola relishes Mungo’s new location in the heart of a city steeped in Italian heritage. Since the days that Mazzola’s ancestors came from Sicily to the United States in the late 19th century, the family has been either in the restaurant industry or fresh wholesale produce business. “I followed all the women in my family (into the restaurant business), instead of the men going into the produce business,” Mazzola, 67, said. “But I worked with my dad and his wholesale produce — I know all about freshness.”

Mungo’s, a classic Italian eatery, at previous locations and now as Mungo’s Uptown Collinsville, has proudly served incomparable Italian fare since 1983, say Mungo’s longtime, loyal patrons. Every day, guests can find Mazzola and his dream team in Mungo’s kitchen using fresh ingredients to make Mazzola’s and his family’s original, as well as modern Italian recipes, along with meals featuring Italian-American twists.