Mamas Cucina Italiana

Mama’s is closed. So if ur coming here for pasta don’t. It is now called Cave. It’s a restaurant, lounge and wine cave.
Apparently the same chef is still employed here. I ate at Cave tonight and enjoyed the vibe and atmosphere. They still have some pasta on the menu but it now has an open kitchen and has the trendy wine bar vibe. The food was very good and the portion sizes nice. I had a chestnut truffle fettuccine and it was decadent. My partner had Kale Cesar salad and seared ahi. Both were very good but the kale had long stems and the ahi, tho seared to perfection, was a little bland… But a little soy sauce and it was excellent.
Oh and the wine cave.
Just outside the restaurant, downstairs. A nice little wine room with a very chill vibe.
If U are planning to coming to Mamas Cucina for their amazing pasta … Look elsewhere. However Cave is a pretty nice place… But I really did come for pasta.

I have been coming here since I was little and it has been so good to me. The food and staff are wonderful. Definitely one of my favorite Italian restaurants. Although all the cooks are mostly Mexican or Hispanic, the head chef is Italian, so it’s pretty authentic!
I’m sad to hear that it’s closing down after Sunday to become a upscale Mediterranean restaurant opening in May. Boo. Well no point of writing a review and what’s good here
Now does anyone know where I can find a delicious Italian restaurant with vermouth cream sauce in oc/​la/​sd area?!

We love this place! The Italian food is so authentic and I haven’t had anything here that I didn’t like!
My brother had his rehearsal dinner here and they were so accommodating! I worked with Lavae, and she really delivered on all she said. I recommend this place for a small group or a large group!
y husband and I love to come sit at the bar and have some apps and drinks. If you come around 5, the bar will be empty and you can sit and people watch through the window. The brushetta is delicious. So much tomatoes and garlic. The anitpasta is amazing! All the veggies that are pickled compliment the cheese so well.
I do have to say that the food is a little pricey! We ordered the lobster fettuccine and it was market priced… but WAY too much money for the amount of Lobster you get. That is the only reason I took off one star was because of the price. But i still overall highly recommend Mamas Cucina!

This has always been my favorite restaurant, great pasta, great service, and I’ll always come back! I had the bruschetta & calamari delicious only great things to say about this restaurant!

5-​star food!
3 star service by our own server; everyone else was better, though.
Thus, overall stars = 4.5

Great food! There were 4 of us and we were all very pleased. Parmesan chicken was good, a tad soggy when we got it but still a good dish. I had the bucatini alla matriciana and it was fantastic. I asked for the sauce Spicy and they hit the mark. Service was decent as well. Definitely recommend.

I had the lobster ravioli and it was absolutely delicious! I would definitely come back when we come to visit Pala again. I also had the pleasure to try the chocolate cake, this was the BEST!

Overall — B
Atmosphere — A (very quiet)
Bruschetta — A– (tomatoes were excellent and bread was good)
Spaghetti with meatballs — C+ (noodles were over-​boiled and sauce was bland; however, meatball was excellent)
Service — A (service was very good and everyone was extremely attentive)
Recommend the Pala buffet over this restaurant but it is not a bad alternative

Food was good. My wife an I tried this place before the Dru Hill with Silk and Shai concert. We made a reservation a few hours before but there was not need. Our waitress was good. the food was good. I got the meat ball spaghetti. Meat ball was huge. My wife got some kind of dumpling thing. It was good. Just wish there was more of it. But i had enough food for both of us. I would recommend this place if you are in the area.

Fettuccine — creamy, Mafaldine noodles different than your normal flat noodles. They are long ribbons with a ruffled side, giving the noodles a rich texture. My take away order was ready in 6 minutes, wow that was fast. The chicken was uneventful on the pasta, but the creaminess made up for it and well, I forgive you dish, a ⁴⁄₅ in my book. Bread, butter and wine were all good, but standard fare for an Italian restaurant. If you are in Pala and crave Italian food, I would recommend this place to anyone.

My husband & I have come here a few times and it’s definitely a nice quiet spot to get away to amidst the loud & lively scene of Pala Casino. It has a great menu & deciding what to order is the hardest thing!
Make reservations if u can because seating can take longer otherwise –the place is usually busy even on week days.
They have complimentary fresh bread served with either garlic butter or balsamic vinegar & olive oil. It’s all so good.
My husband LOVES the Meatball & Pasta dish. It’s literally one pound of meat seasoned in delicious goodness served over their freshly made on site pasta. The marina sauce is light and flavorful as well. We end up sharing this $ 20 meal it’s so big.
The cannoli is really good but their other desserts are just as good. I’ve had their gelato, their tiramisu and the chocolate cake before and I’d still order them now.
Their wine selection is excellent by glass or bottle on select ones. I had the Ferrari Spumante Brut by glass and it was a perfect balance of bubbly, dry, semi sweet and smooth.
I can’t wait to go on another date night here. Romantic & private.

We had tickets to a show at Pala and after looking at our restaurant options we chose Mama’s. It was a great choice, we enjoyed everything (except for one small detail, tell ya later).
We had reservations and the hostess greeted us and seated us immediately. So happy we had reservations because people were walking in asking for a seat and were told it was a 2 hour wait (so MAKE reservations) and we went to an early dinner at 6pm, still was a full house.
Everyone at our table enjoyed their meals tremendously, in fact there was very little talking going on, this is very rare with our group. I ordered the double lamb chop. I HIGHLY recommend it, it was excellent, probably the best lamp chop I have ever had. So juicy, flavorful and a large portion. I suggest you never order lamb well done, it alters the flavor and not in a good way. Mine was medium rare and PERFECT. I asked for a side of asparagus, Parmesan risotto which was also fantastic. The risotto was on point and hard to put down.
I forgot I was so excited to tell you about the lamb I forgot to tell you that they bring an amazing olive bread to the table as a starter that you have to taste, especially if you love olives. We also ordered the calamari. Although fried it was not oily, heavy or in any way hard to eat. The calamari was very tender, and flavorful.
I took a look at their dishes, the only thing I was sad about is that 99% of their pasta sauces are tomato based. I love my creamy sauces and there wasn’t much to choose from.
Our service was exceptional and she was on top of our orders because she knew we had a show to get to. She also warned us not to over order because they would not allow us to bring in our leftovers into the showroom. Very kind of her to do that, because my hubby always likes to over order and take food home. Saved us time and money.
The only thing I objected to was having the sh** scared out of me in the bathroom. When you flush the toilet a male voice says «grazie». Not fun. I jumped and screamed a bit.
This restaurant is worth coming out to Pala even if it is only for dinner.

The food was great and I will definitely eat here again. The chef may be a little to heavy handed with the salt, but that’s my personal taste buds talking. I’m sure most will find that it’s «just right».
Portions are large and the staff is very attentive and polite. Excellent place to «get away» from the casino noise as you couldn’t hear any of the machines or outside announcements for the drawing winners.
They have fresh pasta, hot bread, a quite ambiance, and a huge selection of wines.
You can’t go wrong dining here.

After reviewing our restaurant choices at Pala Casino, our group decided on Mamas Cucina Italiana for what we thought would be delicious Italian food. Little did we know at the time that we would be leaving disappointed.
We started with some drinks — I ordered a gin & tonic. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was something «off» about my drink. It definitely didn’t taste like a gin & tonic…
Moving onto our food — we all ordered a variety from the menu. I had the mussels & clams. I should have known that I was venturing into bad territory when the waitress brought me my plate and there was something unpleasant with the smell. The clams were okay, but the mussels were terrible. There was a rotten odor to each one of them. I figured I would try one anyway, but as soon as it hit my tongue, I had to spit it back out.
A few of my girlfriends ordered the gnocchi alla sorrentina. They were expecting fluffy little potato dumplings, but what they got was mushy looking gnocchi laying in a pool of greasy cheese.
The waitress seemed a bit aloof and the service was a bit slow for an empty restaurant. If you are looking for a place to eat, I suggest trying out one of the other restaurants Pala Casino has to offer.
Side note — my stomach was very upset shortly after leaving the restaurant…

Inside the Pala casino and away from the food court is this restaurant. Don’t leave it out of your meal debate because it is not located in the center where you will find most of the restaurants. It’s a good place. Maybe not the best, and most certainly not the worst. Our party had a many different selections and they all looked good. I ordered the spaghetti and meatball. That’s right, singular. Meatball. It was a one pound meatball. Holy crap. Friendly and fast service. They are located on the hotel lobby side near the pool. Give them a try.

This a great place to get great authentic Italian food! Luciano is always a great host and always comes table side to ensure you are truely satisfied! Don’t miss this wonderful when you are in the area!

I must say that my greater family and mother’s friends had an excellent night celebrating her 95^th birthday while dining at Mama’s off a special, hand-​crafted menu. Food was overflowing as we began with a basket of mostly Foccaccia Bread and platters of Antipasto Misto and fresh and colorful Bruschetta. The setting was elegant, and service brisk and helpful. Bottles of Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon and Hess Chardonnay flowed freely to keep all 26 guests in a celebratory mood.
Homemade tomato-​based Minestrone Soup was very tasty, and a Caesar Salad made with Baby Romaine Lettuce leaves and homemade croutons was cheesy and refreshing on a plate decorated with painted leaves and grape tomatoes.
My entrée of Veal Scaloppine al Marsala featured several nicely pounded medallions of tender veal, suitably crunchy Wild Mushrooms, and an abundance of delicious Marsala Wine Reduction Sauce overlapping and enveloping all. The pasta is prepared fresh daily by hand here, and it shows. Sides of fork-​tender Roasted Potatoes rubbed in olive oil and rosemary were also available for those with room still available for more food.
Cheese Pizza for the kids in attendance looked very good, and the only complaint I heard from a fellow diner was that the grilled Halibut was too dry. The meal ended with a luscious birthday cake prepared by Mama’s pastry chef that was covered with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and large white and yellow roses on the outside, and consisted of sumptuous moist yellow cake and chocolate filling on the inside.
It was a meal fit for a nonagenarian!

What can I say? Chef Luciano is an amazing chef and I always look forward to dining in his restaurant. This is the highlight of the Pala experience. Anything on the menu is superb. I have to say that the meatball is pretty bleeping phenomenal. It’s one pound so be ready to share and share you will as every one will want to dig in and forget their own entrees. We had a party of 20 and I think everyone jumped on the taste test wagon.
Pasta is made fresh and you get a glimpse of the action in the kitchen. Staff is beyond friendly and attentive. Even with a large group like ours! Waldo was excellent.
Oh and the desserts! Mamma Mia! I am a cannoli snob and one of the only desserts I like. The cannoli’s are freshly made. And all I can say is «I die.» (a la Rachel Zoe’s voice)
Luciano you know we love you and you always treat us so well! Until next time… Ciao!

First time I went there by chance: because the line of the buffet was eternal.
Great quality food, a bit over prized taking into consideration that this place is inside a casino, but delicious.
The first time I ordered Raviolis, really well made. I could tell the pasta was homemade and fresh.
The second time ordered antipasti
and calamari
to share while enjoying some wine.
Both appetizers had decent amount and delicious flavor!
I definitely recommend this place, a far cry from Olive Garden (CHAIN!)
Why 4 stars?
the service from some people is not so great: hostess and some waiters (Not all!)

Gross