Being treated to lunch by Mama Lisa is a good thing. Mama Mia Trattoria is super comfy cozy, especially on a cold, rainy afternoon. To celebrate five years in business, Chef Schroeder (aka Mama Lisa) invited a lively crew to taste from her new Craving Menu (weekly $7 lunch specials), to hear about her new cookbook release and its exciting pr plans, and to take a tour of her kitchen and the historic building that houses her restaurants.
The Mama Mia Trattoria dining room is one of those lushly brocaded, chandeliered, gilded mirrors settings that beckons one to order Chianti and Caprese. We settle in, and without much prompting, order A LOT of tasty tidbits. Eggplant Parmigiana. Antipasto. Pizza Margherita. Even a Philly Cheesesteak appears. We eat. And eat. (And somehow have room for the Tartufo. Miraculous.)
Mama Mia's focus is home-style southern Italian standards, particularly food that Italian mothers made in their new homes in America with the ingredients available to them. Schroeder grew up with favorites from Philadelphia's Little Italy, and wanted to bring that style to downtown Portland, which she did, in 2004. Honoring regional home cooking and the mothers who provided for their families is Schroeder's main goal—but the theme is nothing new to her. She opened Mother's Bistro & Bar in 2000, which received Willamette Week's Restaurant of the Year. Mama Mia Trattoria is conveniently situated next door. Mother's presents traditional, home-cooked dishes and comfort food from around the world, and features a monthly mom selection (Mother of the Month menu).
As we gleefully eat our way through platters and plates that never seem to cease emerging from the boisterous kitchen, Chef Schroeder chats with us exhibiting her usual high energy and obvious passion. Not only is she committed to providing Portland with the "food that people crave," she aspires to provide atmosphere and community with her restaurants and her community service (Schroeder is active on various boards and councils). Her latest endeavor is a direct extension of the two restaurants: Mother's Best cookbook, a collection of Lisa's love and most requested recipes. The book debuts this month—a special book signing party is planned for November 16th at the restaurant, and coveted QVC and The Morning Show spots land on either side of the Thanksgiving holiday. "I am thrilled!" bubbles our merry chef. With the next glamorous phase of her labor of love in front of her, she has good reason to be.
The book makes the rounds at our tables. An obsessive collector of cookbooks (my version of porn, along with gardening books), I hang on to one copy longer than I probably should. When I saw Schroeder a few months ago, she was putting the finishing touches on the writing. It's obviously come a long way, now in print and ready for roll out. Mother's Best showcases well over one hundred recipes, features simple tricks of the trade for making dishes work, and offers Love Notes—lovingly scripted notations that "demystify ingredients and explain techniques" with the novice cook in mind. A great gift for anyone interested in cooking (not just the beginner), I hope this tome finds a home on my kitchen shelf. (Not this particular copy—I reluctantly pass it to my neighbor for review.)
What's really inspiring about talking with Chef Schroeder, is the enthusiasm she infuses in all that she says, especially about cooking, the ingredients her restaurants use, what the food means, and how she conveys her certain brand of "homey-ness" and comfort to her guests. After the last spoonful of Tartufo, she leads us on a tour of her kitchen, and then downstairs to the haunted quarters that primarily serve as storage for the two businesses, but also provide altars for the wandering spirits, and passageways for the Shanghai Tunnels, now blocked. Schroeder speaks with equal gusto about the building, the history of some of its previous inhabitants, and a few subterranean antics that have transpired over the years. We enjoy tromping around. We love hearing about the characters from days gone by and not-so-secretly hope to see one of the purported ghosts ‘round the corner. No special appearances today, alas, but we are satisfied nonetheless. We march back upstairs, through the kitchen, past the trays of homemade mozzarella, into the dining room for goodbyes, and glide back out into the rainy afternoon, our bellies full and our hearts warm.
Lunch: Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (take out, too!)
Dinner: daily from 5 p.m.
Disclosure: The writer was treated to lunch, courtesy of Mama Mia Trattoria.
