As an avid consumer of Italian food, I was excited to finally try Mother Mary’s Italian restaurant. As someone who has spent time in Italy for the last three summers, I knew they would have to truly serve me something amazing to impress me. While I cannot say I was blown off my feet, I was overall pleased with my experience at Mother Mary’s.

For the most part I was happy with the food itself. To start off the meal the waiter brought out freshly baked bread, which was better than your average restaurant starter. The bread was very hot and chewy, just as it should be. For my main course I chose to indulge in the chicken parmigiana sandwich. The sandwich consisted of breaded and fried chicken, topped with mozzarella cheese and a house marinara sauce. I was delightfully surprised at the quality of the marinara sauce. It was exceptionally good, and had just the right amount of salt and seasonings. The chicken itself was also cooked well, and the bread tasted just as good as what we were served before the meal. I was quite happy with the sandwich portion of the meal.

Along with the sandwich, I received a side of an alfredo pasta. I have to say, I was disappointed with how the pasta tasted. The sauce had a very dry taste on my pallet, and in my opinion not creamy enough. I have tasted far better alfredo sauces elsewhere. The noodles themselves were fine, but I will not order that again if I chose to return.

While visiting, I also tried a slice of my friend’s pepperoni pizza. I must say the pizza was very well prepared. It was served on a thin crust, with not too much cheese and a delicious house sauce. The pepperonis themselves tasted very good, and were not like typical pepperonis you might get on something served from Little Caesars. They were tougher, and tasted much fresher and similar to what you might buy in a meat market and less like something sold in a grocery store plastic Ziploc bag. Though I only sampled the pizza, what I had was quite good.

The ambiance was nothing out of the ordinary. It was a clean, well kept restaurant with sparse décor. From where I was sitting you could see parts of the kitchen, such as the fire stove, which provided for a brief enchantment. Overall the environment was nothing special, and since I visited at an odd time there were not many other customers around to judge if the dining area gets loud or not.

I was happy with the service. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. Our food didn’t take too long either, and was served hot out of the oven. The server also made it a point to refill our beverages as needed without waiting for us to ask. I was happy with the quality and attention of service.

Price wise, my sandwich and pasta cost $11. For the quality of food and location, I found this to be a reasonable price. It filled me up completely, and that’s coming from a teenage guy. The small pepperoni pizza was $10. I thought that was a little steep, considering the pizza was only 8″. But as far as flavor goes as I have already said it surpassed expectations.

I would recommend Mother Mary’s as a date spot. It is a classy enough place without breaking the bank for a meal for two. The location is also in a newer part of town, which means that it most likely attracts a more upscale clientele. They also offer a very wide range of dishes; from pizza, sandwiches, pastas, steak and seafood, there is sure to be something on the menu for everyone.

Mother Mary’s offers good food at a reasonable price. It provides good home cooked recipes that are served with a smile. I would recommend it to people looking for a night out with a loved one, or dinner with the family.

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This writer can be reached via Twitter: @Jushoots and via email: Justin Houts

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