I don't know many people who can say they don't love an Italian feast, and frankly, I don't think I want to know anyone who does. The antipasto, the home-made penne/rigatoni/gnocchi, the sauce (or gravy as my Nana called it), the ricotta/mozzarella/parmesan, the assortment of cookies/biscotti/cake, the glasses flowing with wine/sambuca/limoncello, and of course the cursing/yelling/laughing that comes along with it all; my mouth waters. A feast like this reminds me of the Holiday Season with my family, and that is exactly how I felt when I dined with 20-some friends at Mamma Marie.
The restaurant had a set price and dinner menu starting off with of course the antipasto, moving on to the soup of the day, followed by the pasta trio, the main entree (your choice of 8), the salad to cleanse the palette and to prepare us for the home-made selection of cakes. Red and white wine carafes were continuously being replenished for the table, and while we ate our almond, creme filled cake, we accompanied it with several shots of sambuca and home-made strawberry/creme/limoncello.
The decor was of course tacky by all means, (what traditional Italian restaurant or kitchen isn't?) complete with a grumpy, old accordion player who scoffed at dollar bills and cameras (sounds like my Pop-Pop). However, the waitstaff was energetic and refreshing and all too eager to see us bubbly/tipsy/happy. We were never rushed or kicked-out (although we probably should have been on several occasions), and aside from being surrounded by my big family of friends, the staff had a comforting way of making me feel right at home at my grandmother's table. It was like a preview of Christmas Eve dinner to come, and I couldn't be more thankful for that. Salute!
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