I’ve been an ideal fan of Mama D’s because it was an informal storefront on the nook of Manhattan Avenue and Manhattan Seaside Boulevard. Certainly, I took my spouse there for a a lot craved dinner simply earlier than the delivery of our daughter; I keep in mind fondly how they pulled up a chair for her to sit down on whereas we waited for a desk.
That department of Mama D’s is lengthy gone. However new branches have appeared, guaranteeing us a daily provide of pasta and crimson sauce — the form of meals we’d be consuming in our Little Italy, if LA had a Little Italy. However we don’t. And so, Mama D’s is right here to fulfill the necessity.
Which it does very nicely. And presumably by no means in addition to at the new branch on the walking street section of Richmond Street in El Segundo. The place Mama D’s has, in the end, gone from being simply an Italian restaurant to being a visit to a busy piazza in Naples. Have been an accordion participant to walk on by, it wouldn’t shock me within the least. That English is being spoken is nearly jarring; Mama D’s is a restaurant that lifts us from El Segundo to Through Posillipo. It’s an out-of-body expertise, as a lot as a culinary one.
Maybe the hardest selection is sitting inside, versus sitting exterior. Throughout our heat late summer time/early autumn nights, the road is bathed in diffuse mild, cool ocean breezes and a few of the cleanest air present in Southern California — perfumed on this case with garlic in abundance, together with oregano and basil, mozzarella and parmesan, onions and tomatoes, at all times tomatoes, which might fill the air with their perfume, however nothing can compete with the garlic. Nothing ever can.
Mama D’s is lifted direct from one other period of culinary pleasure, and there are indicators on the partitions to remind us of that. One particularly reads, “We should not have Wi-Fi…discuss to one another, fake it’s 1995…” One other is an inventory of guidelines that outline gratitude, together with “Crumbs beneath the desk = Household meals,” together with “A lot of noise = Individuals in my life…” Sure, they’re a bit Hallmark card of their sentiments. However then, this can be a menu with a collection of dishes named in honor of employees (household?) members: Jason’s Spaghetti and Meat Sauce … Susan’s Tortellini … Bob’s Bolognese Meat Sauce with Mushrooms. The feelings are as tasty because the meals.
For the previous couple of many years, we’ve been dwelling in a world of carpaccio and risotto. Good things, no denying that — a lighter, extra Milanese tackle Italian cooking. However, as ever, the wheel has turned again to nostalgia, again to the dishes of our misspent youths, again to crimson sauce. I grew up consuming Buitoni spaghetti, wagon wheels, shells. It was a really special occasion after we invested in a bottle of tomato sauce — principally, my mom flavored her sketti with ketchup. (Heinz, in fact.)
The freshly cooked tomato sauces used at Mama D’s weren’t found by me until I began roaming the Little Italys of the Bronx (Arthur Avenue) and Decrease Manhattan — which is the place the cooking of Mama D’s takes me.
This can be a menu wealthy with not simply sauce, however recollections as nicely. Contemplate the boxed specialties, headed, “Well-known Do-it-yourself Ravioli” — one model at Mama D’s is crammed with ricotta, another with spinach and ricotta, and Mikey’s packed has chopped meat. It’s been a very long time since I’ve come throughout a correct rooster parmigiana (Michael’s, on this case), a rooster marsala (Little Jack’s), a rooster piccata (Hannah’s) and an actual rooster cacciatore (Fiona’s). The dishes are all served with pasta and sautéed greens. Pasta is all over the place. It’s a defining ingredient — together with tomato and garlic.
There’s a quick collection of vegan dishes, although you’ll be able to flip many vegan by not utilizing cheese. There’s a bigger collection of seafood — Lynne’s Linguine and Clams, Papa D’s Scampi, Cisco’s Cioppino with Linguine, Cheryl’s Steamed Clams with Linguine, Avis’ Steamed Mussels with Linguine. There’s Tony’s Lasagna. There’s Steve’s Stuff Shells. There’s Marc’s Manicotti.
There’s a lot extra, finest washed down with a few chiantis. One is DaVinci, the opposite Il Molino. The wines I used to drink in Little Italy didn’t include labels. They have been served in jugs. They have been low cost. They have been good. They have been excellent. They have been so famiglia. As one other signal on the partitions says: “Household: We could not have all of it collectively…however collectively we’ve all of it!” That’s Mama D’s. So good. So household.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Electronic mail mreats@aol.com.
Mama D’s El Segundo
- Score: 3 stars
- Tackle: 225 Richmond St., El Segundo
- Data: 310-640-7600; www.mamadselsegundo.com
- Delicacies: Traditional Purple Sauce Italian
- When: Dinner, Tuesday via Sunday
- Particulars: Of the quite a few, much-loved branches which have come and gone of this “Unique Italian Kitchen,” this department stands out as the most like taking a visit to Naples, from the wine and meals (crimson sauce and extra crimson sauce), to the completely satisfied noise and music, and nice out of doors eating. This isn’t simply an Italian restaurant — it’s the Italian Expertise, full with meals in fact, in El Segundo. It’s pure, unadulterated enjoyable.
- Costs: About $25 per individual
- Instructed dishes: 10 Appetizers ($6.99-$13.99), 5 Salads ($6.99-$12.99), 5 Pizzas and Calzones ($11.99-$16.99), 11 Pastas ($11.99-$17.99), 7 Oven Baked Dishes ($13.99-$16.99), 3 “Well-known Do-it-yourself Ravioli” ($15.99), 7 Lite Pastas ($16.99), 8 Rooster Dishes ($21.99), 3 “Employees Picks” ($17.99-$23.99), 5 Seafood Dishes ($19.99-$27.99)
- Bank cards: MC, V
- What the celebrities imply: 4 (World class! Price a visit from wherever!), 3 (Most wonderful, even distinctive. Price a visit from wherever in Southern California.), 2 ( place to go for a meal. Price a visit from wherever within the neighborhood.) 1 (When you’re hungry, and it’s close by, however don’t get caught in visitors going.) 0 (Truthfully, not price writing about.)