Mamma Lucia: A Family-friendly Italian Eatery

Mamma Lucia (pronounced Loo-CHEE-ah) is the sister — or should I say mamma — restaurant to Caffe Lucio, both owned by long-time Santa Cruz restaurateur Lucio Fanni.

Mamma Lucia is housed in the old Kentucky Fried Chicken building on Mission Street, and Fanni has made the location his own. Several chalkboards with the hand-written menu hang high above the long granite counter where orders are taken. The open kitchen defines the term, providing customers a full view of the gleaming stainless steel appliances and racks, and the hustle and bustle of the cooks. In the spacious dining area, you have the choice of sitting in large comfortable booths or at more casual bar tables and stools.

Manager Miriam Kuusik describes Mamma Lucia more as an Italian eatery than a full-service restaurant. "We wanted a fun, clean place where people, especially families, could come for a quick, healthy and affordable meal, a restaurant where they can visit regularly rather than only going out for a special occasion."

Indeed, the restaurant is causal and friendly, and the menu, including one for kids and one for your pooch, is reasonably priced. Two flat screen televisions — their volume kept low — add to the homey atmosphere. On my visit, one TV was broadcasting a soccer game; the other was showing an episode of Iron Chef America.

You'll probably have as much trouble as my husband and I did deciding what to order from the extensive menu, which includes appetizers of bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil; crostini with goat cheese and grilled eggplant and zucchini; or French fries — plain or truffle. Salads and homemade chicken soup also are available as starters. Curious about the truffle fries, we ordered those for our appetizer. A generous portion was served in a cone of wax paper and a stainless steel holder. The fries were excellent — thinly cut, golden brown, crispy on the outside and creamy on inside. I didn't detect any truffle oil flavor, though. I believe this calls for a taste test. Next time, I'll just have to try both and see if the truffle fries really are different.

For our entrées, we ordered the Four Seasons Pizza and the Penne Salsiccia. The thin crust pizza was perfectly baked, the crust crispy but not blackened as some thin crust pizzas can be. The pizza was layered with a rich tomato sauce, quartered artichoke hearts, whole pitted Kalamata olives, sliced mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and Italian ham. The lean thinly sliced ham generously covered the pizza, but with all those ingredients, it still maintained a lighter quality than some pizzas that are drowning in sauce and cheese. The Penne Salsiccia's al dente pasta came smothered in another savory tomato sauce, but this one enhanced with slow-cooked sundried tomatoes, sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms and fresh basil.

There are many choices for vegetarians as well, including different types of meat-free pizza, pasta and panini. Beer and wine will be available soon. For now, you can order a variety of espresso drinks, juices, Italian sodas and other beverages.

Lucio Fanni has succeeded in bringing his vision to life with Mamma Lucia's clean, comfortable atmosphere, friendly service and delicious, affordable Italian food.