THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) - Mom and Dad’s Italian Restaurant in Thomasville was featured on this week’s Restaurant Roundup. There are multiple Mom and Dad’s Restaurants in the South Georgia and Florida area, but Danilo Pistelli owns the one in Thomasville.

Mom and Dad’s received their perfect score on Wednesday, Feb. 4; however, it was not their first perfect score. Between the end of 2023 and 2026, they had five food service inspections and got a perfect score on four out of five of them.

The creation of the family business, Mom and Dad’s, extends back to the late 1900’s. Pistelli said the following about how it all began:

My aunt and uncle came to America in 1955, and they inherited a restaurant in DeFuniak Springs, which is about 130 miles west of Tallahassee. And they stayed there for about seven years until 1963, and moved to Tallahassee, where they opened a new restaurant in Tallahassee. We came in 1973 and started with my aunt and uncle, as my father was a bus boy and a dishwasher. And in 1977, we moved to Thomasville and started our venture.

>> Click here for last week’s Restaurant Roundup <<

Maintaining proper food service standards takes more than a boss or manager to ensure the restaurant is running as it should. It is a team effort.

We take pride in our scores. And it also comes with a great staff... our staff is unbelievable. This is not an ‘I’ thing. This is a ‘we’ thing.

At Mom and Dad’s, getting a perfect score on their inspection is just a reminder of motivation to maintain a healthy and safe environment.

“I think as you get perfect scores or a good high grade score, and share it with our staff, it motivates them to keep the mojo going” Pistelli said.

Getting a perfect score is something that the owners of Mom and Dad’s are accustomed to, but it’s vital to be prepared on how to improve the score if there is an occasion where the score is below 100.

When we achieve those goals, we’re doing the right thing. And if we do not, we ask questions, and we try to understand what are we doing. If we have questions, we ask, and we try to achieve some solutions.

For family-owned restaurants, locally owned restaurants, chains and franchises alike, Pistelli sends the following message to restaurant owners looking to receive a perfect score on their food service inspection:

Try to do the very best you can to ensure that what you are serving is the highest standard.

Below is a list of restaurants that have been inspected in the last week (Feb. 2 through Feb. 9) in South Georgia:

Restaurants from this week’s food service inspection included:

1. Blue Moon Yogurt Co
   1. Infractions
      1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(4)(q)]Observed a box of pizzas stored on the floor of walk-in freezer.
      2. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.06(2)(r)]Observed the plumbing leaking at the handwashing sink in the restroom.
      3. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.07(4)(b)]Observed employees drinks on the shelf in the WIF.
2. Brick Oven Pizzeria
   1. Infractions
      1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.03(3)(a)]Observed no CFSM for the facility.
      2. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(6)(n)]Observed the dishwasher sanitizer not in range of 50 ppm for chlorine.
      3. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(7)(d)]Observed the handwashing sink, fryer, and stove not clean to sight or touch.
3. Caribe House of the Fruit Saladz
   1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(7)(d)]Observed the facility had no written consumer notification of the presence of major food allergens in unpackaged food items.
   2. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.06(1)(g),(h)]Observed no water in one of the nozzles on the 3-compartment sink.
4. Mom and Dad’s Italian Restaurant
5. Daily Dose
   1. Infractions
      1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.07(3)(b)]Hand wash sink lacking drying provisions. Must keep sink provided.  New Violation.
6. La Fondita
   1. Infractions
      1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.03(3)(a)]No CFSM on staff. Corrective Action: Obtain an approved CFSM certificate as soon as possible
      2. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.06(2)(o)]No hot water at the hand-washing sink.
      3. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(4)(c)1(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)]Observed eggs stored over ready to eat foods.
      4. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(7)(a)1]Observed main refrigerator and freezer unit heavily soiled with food debris throughout the unit.
      5. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(6)(g)]Observed no items being properly dated.
      6. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(2)(x)]Need to place thermometers inside all cooling units and monitor ambient air temps inside the units.  
      7. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(3)(h),(i),(j)]No test strips for sanitizer solution.
      8. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.06(1)(g),(h)]no hot water at handwash sink.
7. Freddy’s
   1. Infractions
      1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.07(3)(b)]No paper towels at station up front by drink machine, along with station by dish washing station.
8. Jazleemar’s Eats and Treats

Below you can find the food service inspection document for each restaurant covered in this week’s report:

Blue Moon Yogurt Co

Brick Oven Pizzeria

Caribe House of the Fruit Saladz

Mom and Dad’s Italian Restaurant

Daily Dose

La Fondita

Freddy’s

Jazleemar’s Eats and Treats

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.