“Restaurant review, Mamma Lucia: Make room for Mamma on Mission”

Restaurant review, Mamma Lucia: Make room for Mamma on Mission

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 08:03 PM PDT

Click photo to enlarge

Mirjam Kuusik and husband Lucio Fanni have opened Mamma Lucia on Mission Street on the Westside in the home of a former KFC

When I heard that an Italian restaurant had taken over the former Kentucky Fried Chicken location on Mission Street, I was intrigued by the idea of IC -- Italiano Cuisine -- replacing KFC and its American fare.

Walking into Mamma Lucia's open, airy foyer, I was greeted by a cheery counterperson and the smell of fresh bread, basil and garlic: no hint of deep-fat fryer or extra-crispy here.

My friend Lee had already arrived, and I joined her in one of the red-and-cream upholstered booths that lined the room. Other seating included a long banquette along one wall and several tall and short tables. "The outside seating will be nice when the weather's warm," Lee said.

A big menu was chalked on the wall above the counter, but we first studied a paper version at the table. Dishes ranged from pasta, panini, salads and grilled chicken to 20 pizzas divided as "Pizza Rossa" with tomato sauce and "Pizza Bianca" with extra virgin olive oil. We chose a Salsiccia Pizza Rossa $12, Manicotti with Marinara $11 and Peroni draft beer $4.

Ordering at the counter, I asked co-owner Mirjam Kuusik about dessert choices and she described the imported Italian cakes in a lovely accent I couldn't quite place. Adding a slice of Italian Lemon Cake $5.50, I gathered utensils and a selection of oil and vinegar, crushed red pepper and Parmesan from small containers supplied at the counter.

Our smiling greeter, Ilya, brought warm housemade bread that was dense and thin-crusted,

reminding me of many happy meals at trattorias in Italy. He returned before we'd managed to ruin our dinners with the addictive bread, carrying a 12-inch pizza strewn with bright green leaves.

"This is my favorite pizza," he confided. "I love the arugula."

We did, too -- from watching the verdant greens wilt with the heat of the pizza to savoring the edge of flavor they added to this fairly simple but well-balanced pie. The stellar crust, crisp but with a lovely chewiness, brought back memories of Italian street fare. Housemade sauce tasting of fresh tomatoes thinly coated the pizza and complemented the scattering of mild, sweet Italian sausage with its hint of anise.

"I'm loving this sausage," I said.

"And the crust is really good," Lee added.

This was not your standard American-style pizza, which can be heavy and greasy. Instead, it tasted healthy, with flavors that were fresh and light; I stopped after two medium-sized slices not because I was full but because I wanted to do justice to the rest of our meal.

Kuusik brought our manicotti herself, delivering the oval white ceramic dish with a flourish and reminding us that extra Parmesan was available at the counter. The two tubular manicotti, blanketed in housemade tomato sauce spiked with bits of garlic, were made authentically using tender sheets of pasta rolled like crepes around a fluffy filling of ricotta and spinach. This dish could have been a little hotter but we loved its bright, wholesome flavor.

"Are you ready for dessert?" asked Ilya.

We set aside the rest of our meals to take home and admired the pretty torta triangle drizzled with lemon sauce and decorated with a dusting of powdered sugar. Lee and I each sampled a bite and sighed.

"Oh, those Italians," I said. The soft, cakey crust was layered with filling so lemony it even tasted yellow, the acidity counterbalanced with delicately sweet custard.

Lee and I agreed: Mamma Lucia has erased the memory of KFC. The Colonel has left the building. Make room for Mamma.

Contact Ann Parker at atparker@pacbell.net.

Restaurant Review

Mamma Lucia Caf -Bar-Pizzeria
WHERE: 1618 Mission St., Santa Cruz
HOURS: Open daily for lunch and dinner, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; panini is available for lunch only, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Breakfast will be added soon.
SERVICE: Helpful, warm and friendly counter service, table delivery
FOOD: HHH
VALUE: HHH
AMBIANCE: Colorful, casual interior; dog-friendly patio
COST: Reasonable (pizza and pasta, $7-$14).
NOTE: Cash only; ATM onsite
DETAILS: 458-2222, www.mammaluciapizza.com
Read more Sentinel dining reviews at www.santacruzsentinel.com/food.

More about Mamma Lucia

Mamma Lucia is co-owned by Mirjam Kuusik and her husband, restaurateur Lucio Fanni, a Milano native known locally as the former owner of Al Dente restaurant and current owner of Caffe Lucio. The couple made a number of changes to the Mission Street location before opening in mid-September, including extensive cleaning, reworking the kitchen and developing patio seating.
'We're replacing the inside lights next week,' says Kuusik, whose lilting accent combines her native Estonian with the Italian she and Fanni speak at home to their two young children. 'And we're planning a patio garden to grow vegetables.'
The idea of the restaurant, she says, is 'to offer good, everyday Italian food, fresh and at good prices -- and Lucio is particular about ingredients.'
One of Kuusik's favorite menu items is the Bismark Pizza, featuring prosciutto cotto and a sunny side up egg. 'It's something new for many Americans, but very delicious,' she comments.
Named for Lucio's mother, Mamma Lucia has been warmly welcomed by its new Westside neighbors, Kuusik says. 'People even brought baskets of their own fruit and vegetables.'
-- Ann Parker

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