It’s rare to find a Southwest Florida restaurant whose adult patrons were children when they enjoyed their first meal there. Fortunately for local diners, Mona Lisa is just such a place.

Ever since Joe Pirrone opened Mona Lisa for business in Fort Myers in 1979, the restaurant’s authentic Italian cuisine has drawn patrons of all ages from near and far. Now, three of Pirrone’s four sons work there, at its original location on College Parkway, between U.S. 41 and Kenwood Lane in the Office Depot center.

Other than expanding its services and making some minor adjustments to the menu, Mona Lisa hasn’t changed that much over the years, which is a good thing. During that time, it has built a well-deserved reputation for consistently serving a wide variety of high-quality Italian food at very reasonable prices. In fact, most of the signature dishes and salad dressings are made from the same family recipes the Pirrones have used since opening day.

That’s not to say that Mona Lisa hasn’t kept up with the times. It has, evolving into a three-pronged operation under one roof: the restaurant, the bar and the catering business. Doing so has allowed it to remain hugely popular with customers from all walks of life, ranging from event planners and pharmaceutical reps to sports fans and karaoke enthusiasts.

At lunchtime, most of Mona Lisa’s 10 TVs are tuned to financial and news networks, and area business people fill the seats. Since many are in a rush, service is fast, with food delivered to the table within 15 or 20 minutes of ordering. At press time, the restaurant was in the process of getting wireless capabilities that would enable customers with laptop computers to work over lunch if needed.

Besides the main dining room, there is also a back room that seats 25 comfortably, and is well suited for presentations, meetings and other private corporate or social functions. In addition to hosting on-site professional luncheons, Mona Lisa is famous for its off-site catering at medical and professional offices. The service is especially convenient for pharmaceutical reps who frequently treat physicians’ offices and healthcare clinics to lunch. All the reps need to do is phone in what they want, how much they want, and when and where they want it delivered.

The service is available to clients from Cape Coral to Naples, Monday through Friday. In addition to a $100 minimum, orders must be called in to Mona Lisa’s dedicated catering line (239-707-2591) at least 24 hours in advance, since everything is made fresh to order.

Although the restaurant does not otherwise deliver, diners have the option of taking out or eating in. Either way, they can’t miss if they hunger for delicious, homemade Italian food during the day or late into the night. Dinner items are available 7 days a week starting at 11 a.m.; lunch is served weekdays until 4 p.m. The menus are very similar, with a nice selection of sautéed and baked pastas, seafood and sandwiches, served on freshly baked bread. About the only differences are the smaller (but ample) portions at lunch and the lower prices to accompany them ($6.50-$9).

Dinner remains a bargain, with all but a couple of dishes priced at less than $20 and some, such as the Calzone and Personal Pizza, are less than $10. House Specialties list various veal, eggplant and chicken creations, including the best-selling Chicken Mona Lisa (sautéed with mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and spinach, topped with buffalo mozzarella and a light sherry wine sauce). There are also a number of seafood and grilled entrees.

When it comes to pasta and pizza, Mona Lisa is hard to beat. In addition to such standards as Spaghetti with Meatballs or Sausage, Baked Ziti and Fettuccine Alfredo, there are several styles of pizza and quite a few unique dishes. For example, sautŽed pastas include a Tortellini alla Mamma (cheese-filled pasta served with sautŽed proscuitto and green peas in alfredo sauce) and the exceptional Tutti di Mare (mussels, clams, shrimp, scallops, calamari, scungilli and crab legs in a spicy marinara sauce served over linguine). As for baked pastas, diners can sample several in the Tour of Sicily, which includes stuffed shells, meat ravioli, cheese ravioli and manicotti.

All dinners are served with fresh bread (served with sundried tomato dipping sauce) and a choice of soup or salad. There are also nightly appetizer and entree specials, and a $10 early bird menu served daily from 4-6 p.m. Each comes with bread and soup or salad, as well as a choice of a carafe of wine or pitcher of beer, plus dessert. There is also a kid’s menu with items for $5 and $6, as well as an abbreviated, late-night menu with selected appetizers, pizzas, sandwiches and salads from 10 p.m. until midnight.

To the delight of caffeine lovers, Mona Lisa recently added cappuccino and espresso to its beverage list, along with green tea. It also offers a well-rounded selection of imported and domestic wines and beers.

Mona Lisa is especially lively at night. For one thing, there’s a full-liquor bar, whose patronage by players with the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins is reflected in the sporty decor and baseball Wall of Fame. In addition, there are daily and nightly happy hours with two-for-one drinks, and various themed nights, such as Hospitality Night on Thursdays.

Perhaps the biggest draw is the nightly karaoke. With more than 70,000 songs to choose from, Mona Lisa has one of the most extensive karaoke libraries in the state. It’s been a huge hit with bridal parties, adult sports teams and other large groups since 1989. The fun begins at 10 p.m. and usually lasts almost until closing at 2 a.m. Due to demand, karaoke lovers are urged to get their song requests in early or risk putting off stardom until another night.