The menu of Mamma Susanna’s proclaims “Chi mangia bene vive bene—Who eats well lives well,” and anyone who eats here will live well indeed!

The Atmosphere

The quaint little restaurant is located at 5487 Carlson Drive. While the facade is nondescript, the interior is filled with delightful surprises.

The restaurant is cozy and inviting, with walls painted in a style reminiscent of stucco in Tuscany. A border of wines surrounds the walls.

But the real eye-catcher is the display of glass bottles (on the right wall) that greets the customer upon entering.

Hundreds of bottles—ranging from San Pellegrino sparkling water to assorted Italian wines—sit on the shelves.

The Food

The bread at Mamma Susanna’s is amazing. Served warm, it has a super-soft inside. After the first roll, which comes with certain entrées on the menu, a basket of rolls is $1.25.

All entrées (except pizzas) come with a small side salad with dressing.

The menu has a nice variety of salads, soups, pastas, pizzas and meats.

I tried the Spaghetti Bolognese ($12.99) and Penne Rustica ($13.99). I also tasted the Marghertita ($8.99) and Mamma Susanna’s ($10.99) pizza.

For more conservative eaters, I’d recommend either the Spaghetti Bolognese or the Marghertita pizza. Both were cautious choices, but equally tasty.

The Spaghetti Bolognese was appealing. With a simple meat sauce and spaghetti pasta, it is a classic. The sauce was tangy and the noodles soft but not mushy.

The Marghertita was an equally safe choice for picky eaters. Similar to a cheese pizza, the Marghertita was equally tasty but had a twist—the cheese topping is mozzarella.

For the more adventurous, the Penne Rustica and Mamma Susanna’s pizza are excellent choices.

The Penne Rustica was a delicious combination of chicken, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. With tender chicken and noodles bathed in a creamy white wine sauce, this dish was delicious.

The Mamma Susanna’s pizza was amazing. Pork lovers, rejoice! This is the pizza for you.

With three different types of pork (sausage, pepperoni and ham), plus mushrooms, onions, olives and tomatoes, the dish is a shock of different flavors. The menu even describes the pizza as “The whole salami!!!!”

These flavors blend to create an awesome pizza.

The Dessert

The tiramisu ($5) can be described in only five words: devastatingly decadent and disturbingly delicious.

This dessert has a slight, but not overwhelming, espresso flavor. The cream is rich and sweet.

Yet it tastes surprisingly light, like clouds.

The tiramisu was easily the best part of the meal.

Mamma Susanna’s also offers Panna Cotta ($3.99), Italian pudding, and Cannoli ($2.49), a type of pastry.

The Verdict

Take your friends and family to enjoy a delicious meal at Mamma Susanna’s, but be sure to save room for dessert! I believe this restaurant deserves an “A-“.