Momma’s Kitchen

Located right in the heart of Montvale’s downtown area, Momma’s Kitchen is the Italian restaurant that this area has been longing for!

Momma’s Kitchen occupies the location across from the Montvale bowling alley, formally held by 15 Grand and Eleni’s Pancake House before that. The decor has been significantly modernized since its former life as a diner, but even though the inside is fancier, this is not your stereotypical stuffy Italian restaurant. No fancy waiters in tuxes, no fancy white table clothes, no Sinatra playing over the stereo over and over, and no paintings of the Venice pier on the walls.

This place is what everyone should expect from an Italian restaurant – QUALITY. The atmosphere, although nicely decorated, has a casual feel. The waitstaff is very friendly. Our waitress, Elyssa, was fantastic, and lived up to her promise: she would only advise us to try things she thought was terrific, and we were not disappointed. Elyssa had a tall order to fill – three Italians sitting at the table, and needless to say, all three of us left very happy, and most importantly, plan to return soon.

We arrived at prime-time lunch time: 12:15pm. Upon being seated, we were immediately provided with our drinks and a bowl of hot Italian bread rolls, fresh from the oven, with a bowl of what seems to be freshly-made butter.

What should I eat at Momma’s Kitchen?

All menu items are made fresh daily, and our entrees came out in a very reasonable amount of time. Every member of our party sampled a completely different menu item type; from macaroni and meatballs, to a panini, to a personal pizza, to chicken wings and everyone was very impressed. The portion sizes, for the prices they charge are very generous, and you will not walk out hungry.

One of their menu offerings is your choice of meatball: beef, chicken, pork, etc., choice of sauce: tomato, vodka, bolognaise, etc.. It can be ordered as a sandwich or as an entrée with choice of pasta: spaghetti, rigatoni, penne, etc.. Many, many options.

One choice was an order of standard beef meatballs as an entrée with rigatoni and vodka sauce. Two items for which we can be highly critical are restaurant meatballs and vodka sauce, and both exceeded our expectations. The meatballs were lightly seasoned and each is roughly the size of a golf ball. Many places miss the mark on their vodka sauce because they tend to lean more to one side, but Momma’s vodka sauce was a very nice balance of creamy and tomato-y. The rigatoni was cooked to a perfect al dente.

We were offered a slice of the pizza – sausage and caramelized onions. Delicious! Thin-crust personal pizza, with a bottom crust reminiscent of pan pizza – golden brown and slightly buttery. Definitely a must-try.

Do not forget the dessert!

Just when we were ready to burst, the waitress insisted (yes, INSISTED) that we try the mini fried doughnuts for dessert. We were all reluctant, and extremely full, but couldn’t resist (not that we really had a choice). The mini doughnuts, also roughly the size of a golf ball, are fried to order, and served hot in a brown paper bag filled with granulated sugar. They are served on a plate with raspberry and chocolate dipping sauces. These mini doughnut bites were the perfect end to a wonderful meal. The dipping sauces were excellent, especially the raspberry, which makes it taste like a very fresh jelly doughnut from Dunkin Donuts.

If you’re in the Montvale area, for business, pleasure, or just passing through, and are looking for a delicious Italian meal, look no further. Stop in, have a bite, and spread the word. Before you know it, you’ll be back.

*original post by Iacoucci*