Covalli’s Italian Kitchen is definitely a family operation.

Husband, wife, sons and daughters-in-law all work at Covalli’s. According to Gloria Covalli, one of the managers, it all came about while her husband was helping family appropriately enough. While Mr. Covalli was traveling to Gadsden to help family, he continually passed by the space where Covalli’s is now and wondered.

Mr. Covalli had gotten burned out with the restaurant business after the family had owned a restaurant in Villa Rica, Ga., for around five years. If you know anything about the restaurant business, you know such a sentiment isn’t uncommon. It’s a tough business.

But the Anniston community has made the transition back a smooth one.

“We feel very welcome,” Gloria Covalli said. “Everybody seems very appreciative to have us here.”

The location of Covalli’s is on a busy strip of South Quintard Avenue, sort of in between Oxford and downtown Anniston, and surrounded by a swarm of car dealerships.

The building itself has an interior of red brick and a tasteful shade of red blinds and walls of a matching color to closely blend with the brick.

Black-and-white photos along the wall are of the family from their restaurant in Villa Rica, showing them working in kitchens and hand-tossing dough.

The menu is full of traditional Italian dishes like baked ziti and manicotti, along with other Italian staples like pizza, calzones, meatball subs, and eggplant parmesan, with plenty of marinara sauce.

Just be careful: While the marinara sauce is delicious, if you’re not careful, your clothes may eat some of it, too.

Best italian

Covalli’s, Anniston