Mama Mia Trattoria

Wow, the person who wrote that negitive one star review below sounds like quite the a@s h@le. I can maybe understand if the place was just ok writing a review that bad since he is from "italy." However, Mama Mia's is really, really, good and I am very picky when it comes to italian food and have dined at many, many, restaurants. The owner/chef is italian and knows what she is doing. She makes the mozz cheese fresh everyday and it truly melts in your mouth so I have no idea where that came from. I go here when I want hearty italain food and two other places in Portland when I want more authentic italian food. If you're in the mood for hearty flavorful food you should give this place a try. I rarely branch out and I did about a year ago and now it is one of my favorite places in Portland. Plus the owner/chef comes around and talks to ya and really seems to take pride in everything. If you look and most of the reviews, then you will see that 80% of them are excellent. But you must try it for yourself to find out. As far as the one reviewer below that claimed to be "italian" --- I have a great idea! Move back to Italy! Portland is getting too populated anyway.

Home made Italian food, maybe if you're German, Irish, or Polish. Now nothing against any of those nationality's, I'm sure they make great food but their not Italian. This is lazy Italian food at it's very worst. I grew up in Brooklyn NY with an Italian Grandma and an Italian mom. My nanny (nanny is what Italians call their grandma) and mom would die (not kidding) before they served this kind of lazy junk food and call it home made. An example of this; the waitress brings out my order of eggplant parmigian and it consisted of two big thick pieces of eggplant covered with low quality mozzarella. I looked at my wife and she looked at me, and we both laughed. I picked up my fork , yes fork that's what you cut your eggplant with when its made at home by your mom or nana. After a few seconds I gave up and picked up my knife since no Fork could ever cut these two hockey pucks. It's Lazy Italian food because its much easier to have two layers then five or six, even though that's how home made eggplant is made in a real Italian home.

My mom would never serve this food to her children, nor would any loving Italian mom I have ever met!

Outstanding evening. We were seated immediately, and service was fantastic. From appetiser to desert and espresso, one of the best Italian meals I've had, and I'm an Italian food junkie. Best meal since dining at the old Mama Leone's in NYC, which was many years ago. My only criticism (and this is petty) is that I'd like to see cloth napkins on the table instead of paper. For a restaurant of this calibre, there should be cloth napkins.

This place was truly a disappointment; you can make better pasta at home. The quantities are large, which may please some, but the flavor is bland, the noodles are overcooked, there is nothing truly Italian about the place. Don't waste your money.

My husband and I tried Mamma Mia after hearing good reviews. The service was pretty good, but both of our dishes were just average. Clam linquine wasn't quite on for flavor. Cannoli's for dessert were really good. Overall it wasn't as impressive as I expected it to be. There are only a few really good spots in PDX for Italian.