Mamma Luciana's
Glenore Centre Glenashley, Durban North
Tel: 031 562 1405
Marco Conte has established himself as one of the most popular restaurateurs in Durban with his two adjoining venues - Marco's and Mamma Luciana's - in the bustling Florida and Windermere roads section of Morningside.
So when another Italian restaurant closed its doors in the Glenore Centre just past Virginia Airport, Marco pounced. It is an attractive venue, with a strong Italian-themed décor, and has a huge outdoor patio which overlooks a freeway but, more important, the Indian Ocean.
I have dined several times at Mamma Luciana's in Morningside and attended the opening night festivities of the Glenashley branch about a month ago, when all of the Sharks rugby players were in attendance. In fact, Springbok captain John Smit holds a small share of the business, such is Marco's love of rugby, and he has named one of the dishes after our skipper. It's called Pasta Jovani Smitereni, which is grilled chicken, mushrooms and napoli sauce. Try scrumming down and having that one day.
In fact, Smit was there with his wife, Roxanne, when we lunched and though my partner wanted his autograph, I said to let the man eat in peace!
As one would expect, Mamma's is big on traditional pastas and home-made pastas, which are made by Marco's mother, Luciana.
The starters are also traditional, with items such as carpaccio al veneziana, bruschetta modo mio, mellazane alla parmigiana (brinjals) and calamari.
All are recommended, as is the focaccio with garlic and herbs. Dip that in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and it is the perfect way to get one's digestive system going for the more sturdy food ahead.
I went straight to one of my favourites - the fileto funghi e pesto - strips of steak, mushrooms, chilli, oregano, garlic and creamy pesto topped with parmesan shavings and rocket. A delicious fusion of flavours and, at R62 for a big portion, well worth the price.
My partner chose Mamma's home-made meatballs, cooked in tomato, basil and white wine sauce. Marco confesses on the menu he was raised on this.
Other memorable mains I have eaten include the Della Mamma, which is smoked chicken and prawns in a creamy dijon mustard sauce; and pasta carbonara, which is bacon, egg, black pepper and loads of parmesan cheese and cream; while my daughter, on her visits with some mates, raves about the pasta gamberri, which is prawns in a creamy garlic napoli sauce.
I have also heard the gnocchi is excellent at Mamma's, as is the cannelloni and pumpkin panzerotti, which is, like some of the items, available in the more upmarket Marco's restaurant.
But if you are not into pasta (and if you are not, you should not be in an Italian restaurant) how about trying some of the other main dishes like fresh linefish, escalopes of veal and another with creamy mushroom, garlic, herb and napoli sauce plus calamari?
Then there is pollo arrosto - baby chicken cooked in the pizza oven, Mamma's fillet, plus chicken breasts and lamb shank.
For pizza lovers, there are 19 of them to whet the appetite, while in the dessert section you will find tiramisu, lemon meringue and chocolate mousse among the temptations.
Besides its quality food, Mamma's pricing is very reasonable and you get two choices of portion - bambini and bambino. It's why it's so popular with families and, in fact, everyone who appreciates good Italian food in a pleasant, relaxed and laid-back environment.The wine list is good and if you want to bring your own, corkage is R25.
Mamma's at Glenashley is buzzing - and it is easy to see why.