By NANCY DEARING ROSSBACHER and STEPHEN W. SYLVIA

She: Numerous e-mails received last summer plaintively asked, "When is Mario's reopening?"

These didn't come only from readers in Mario's vicinity in Orange. They reached from as far as North Stafford, attesting to Mario's decade-long reputation for pasta and pizza. Once squeezed into a cramped spot with inadequate parking, it was slated to be reborn at a new location.

But when?

He: Owners Ignazio and Janet Abbene's ambitious vision--a stucco and stone facade that echoes an Italian villa, and an uncrowded, airy interior--finally came to fruition early last autumn at their new Main Street location. It was nearly half a year after their projected reopening, but at long last the red neon "Mario's" light shone cheerfully over the broad parking lot.

She: The new incarnation can seat about twice as many patrons as the previous one, with 10 high-backed, upholstered booths lining two walls, and 10 tables positioned at precise angles on the spotless tile floor. An event room to the side can handle any overflow.

There's lots of elbow room now, even for the dough-tossing Janet, who can be seen creating the pizzas at the large ovens standing sentry behind the front counter.

The decor is muted, the strongest note being beige, and potted plants perched over the booths lend a touch of greenery. Soft music, appropriately of the "O Sole Mio" school, plays in the background.

The only note of busyness emanates from two wall displays of thank-you notes from area schoolchildren whose accomplishments the Abbenes have rewarded with coupons. The couple is nothing if not family- and youth-oriented, to the extent that a large picture of their daughters, Anna Mario and little Janet, smiles upon arriving diners at the entryway.

He: The center of the room has been appropriated by a long buffet, an island of stainless steel with more than a dozen hot and cold selections, and a recent weeknight visit bore out its popularity. Most of the other diners that evening chose this affordable all-you-can-eat option (lunch $5.95, dinner $7.95), and I followed the crowd.