Mama Louise Italian Restaurant boasts that it serves the “finest traditional Italian food.” “Tradition” is a word the eatery likes and follows.
You won’t find the chef doing fancy things with anchovies or squid ink. What you will find at this tiny strip restaurant at Piney Creek Square in Centennial are the classics: spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmigiana, pizza.
And red-and-white checkered tablecloths, a fountain and cherubs on the walls. Don’t forget the voice of Frank Sinatra wafting through the tiny dining room, which contains only about 15 tables.
The house specialty is “Chicken Franchais” ($7.50 lunch, $13.75 dinner), a pounded, breaded chicken breast sautéed in lemon butter sauce and served with Fettuccini Alfredo. The chicken is flavorfully tangy and moist. The fettuccini sauce is a creamy-cheesy- buttery mix that waltzed well with the chicken.
Dining at the restaurant a previous time, we ordered the Alfredo alone ($6.95 lunch, $11.25 dinner) and thought the sauce was bland. The second tasting was a pleasant surprise.
The Rigatoni ($6.50 lunch, $9.50 dinner) was cooked to perfection and the red sauce was tangy and medium-thick.
A 12-inch Neopolitan cheese pizza is only $9.50, a bargain anywhere. Other toppings, such as pepperoni, sausage, black olives, or anchovies, are $1.50 each. The same-sized White Pizza, topped with marinated Roma tomatoes, mozzarella and Romano cheese is $10.75.
All meals are accompanied by soup, blissfully full of pasta and beans, but a thin tomato base; a salad, fresh but uninspired; and homemade garlic knot rolls.
The servings are large, so most people walk out the door with a to-go box or two.
Two of our favorite items at Mama Louise’s were the pre- and post-courses.
We tried the Olivenos, listed as black olives stuffed with Asiago cheese and seasoned bread crumbs. What arrived at our table was a variation on arancini, a deep-fried rice ball favored by Sicilians. There were no complaints over the chopped black olives and cheese rolled in bread crumbs then cooked until the cheese was creamy. The croquettes, served with marinara, disappeared in a flash.
The finale, a cannoli, was gone before you could sing “when a big pizza pie hits you right in the eye …” The crispy outer pastry was fresh and delicate and the sweetened riccotta dotted with chocolate chips was some of the smoothest I’ve ever eaten.
Now that’s amore.
Although the place is small, the waitstaff is numerous, so you’re never in need of anything for too long. And the friendly atmosphere is perpetuated by the owner, Kent Gaccetta, who drops by your table to make sure you’re happy.
Staff writer Cynthia Pasquale can be reached at 303-954-1722 or cpasquale@denverpost.com.
Mama Louise
Italian|15412 E. Orchard Road, Centennial, 303-799-1993|
$2.25-$18.95|Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 5-10 p.m.
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover.
Front burner: Friendly, family atmosphere; big portions; fast service.
Back burner: Sauces could be bolder.
