November 2012
Whenever I am in Florence – once to kick-start my son’s culinary career – I eat at Ciro and Sons. It is the heart and soul of everything Italian, from a family affair amongst the kitchen and wait staff to the always al dente penne arrabiata. Order a carafe of the local red wine and sigh. This is all well and good when you are in Tuscany, but we are lucky enough to spend our days in our own pleasure town of Flagstaff.
Thank goodness for a similar, authentic, local experience found at Mamma Luisa’s Italian Restaurant. Their green, white and red flag-striped banquette greets guests and the music of Sinatra plays within a warm interior hung with Italian oils. The strength of this restaurant is also the wait staff, who’ve remained over the years and include the owners’ children and nephews. And the food? From the coiled bread – made fresh daily and whose crumbs coat the Eggplant Parmigiana – to the specialty Chicken Rollantini, everything is made to order.
No wonder nearly every table in the place is full by half past five on a Monday. Designated Best Italian Food of Flagstaff by readers of the Arizona Daily Sun for the last several years, those same people are likely regulars. Owners Tony and Lisa Martinez know 90 percent of the diners in their reservation book. As an all-hands in production, Tony also wears a chef’s starched, double-breasted, white coat and a toque smashed over a bush of curls.
Soon after Mamma’s was established in 1980, Tony met the original owner, Ernesto Mazzoni. Tony was a karate teacher at that time, and an amiable apprenticeship began for each of them. One taught the art of self-defense, and the other, the family recipes of Ernesto’s mother, Luisa. She came from the small, southern Italian, fishing village of Bari, and the restaurant has honored her in name ever since. Tony bought Mamma’s in 1984.
With a name like Martinez, you might have guessed that Tony comes from another culture that gathers families in the kitchen for traditional meals. He married an Italian from Massachusetts though, so perhaps, it was inevitable. Lisa’s mother made pasta every Sunday. “What my grandmothers did, I did, and my daughters do,” Lisa said. “It is a legacy in food and triggers great memories.”
The kitchen at Mamma Luisa’s looks much as it did in the Eighties with no microwaves or computers, just an upgrade in practical facilities. The menu hasn’t changed much since that time either, still carrying the staples of pasta, chicken, seafood and lamb. The recipe works, judging from the happy buzz of a multi-generational celebration taking place that night. “We buy the best products on the market – fresh veal and cream – and add some expertise and love,” Tony said. “There are no shortcuts.”
Mamma’s nightly specials are popular, and all meals are served with bread and soup or salad. Her house specialties rank high, too, like Chicken Pompiana – a chicken breast stuffed with spinach and oozing three cheeses in a puddle of pesto. It is creamy, gooey and satisfying. The side of penne is perfecto with a thick, rich, robust, red sauce. Their Veal Saltimbocca is a variation on a classic with tender veal slices layered with ham, mozzarella and fried eggplant. The skewered towers, topped by a hard-cooked egg, nestle on a wine-laced, brothy bed of spinach. Nice salt in the meat paired with the herbal veg.
Such standard fare yields to a generous vegetarian menu, highlighting Orzo Gardenia with fresh basil, Roma tomatoes, zucchini, artichoke hearts and pine nuts sautéed in seasoning and, of course, garlic oil. All of this over delicate, rice-shaped, orzo pasta. Gluten –free meals are available, too.
Many diners close their meal with a lighter touch, such as the layered ice cream favorite, spumoni, from the Latin word for foam. Another winner is the dark and white chocolate mousse, which floats in a parfait glass.
The wine list ranges around the world, so order a glass with your meal. There are Italian whites and a reasonable stable of reds, including my favorite vineyard, Banfi, plus three Chiantis. Wine with dinner earns you a gratis cordial made from three wines and reminiscent of port. It is a perfect Italian getaway that doesn’t require a plane ticket. NAMLM
Gail G. Collins