Mama Mia 44SW has been a go-to Italian restaurant for me in Manhattan’s theater district for decades. I often recommend it to friends because not only does the restaurant allow larger parties than many NYC establishments, but the prices are more reasonable than many others in the neighborhood. Yet, the food is still excellent!
The restaurant, on the southwest corner of Ninth Avenue and West 44th Street (hence, the name), has been run by three generations of the Schiattarella family. Ninth Avenue is just west of Times Square.
On a recent birthday gathering there, they surprised me with a candle on my tiramisu dessert and wrote “Happy birthday” in chocolate on the plate. I had no idea they were going to do that, so I was very appreciative.
My birthday tiramisu at Mama Mia 44SW. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The menu includes dinner salads, pastas, classic Italian dishes, and pizza. So there’s something for everyone, including vegetarians. Chicken 44 is a special dish with sliced chicken, goat cheese, spinach, and mushrooms in garlic and oil sauce. My personal favorite is the dinner salad with chicken, goat cheese, apples, and walnuts. There are also specialty cocktails and a decent wine list.
The chicken and apple salad at Mama Mia 44SW. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The espresso martini at Mama Mia 44SW. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
At my most recent visit, I ordered the Chicken Francese with capers, mashed potatoes, carrots, and charred broccoli. It was absolutely delicious! I highly recommend ordering this.
Chicken Francese at Mama Mia 44SW. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The restaurant is relatively small, but the ambiance is both elegant and casual. It’s open for both lunch and dinner and has a $21.99 weekend brunch that’s an absolute steal in midtown Manhattan. That includes a Mimosa, Bellini, Champagne, Bloody Mary, or Screwdriver. The brunch menu includes bananas foster pancakes, frittatas, and eggs Benedict, as well as more lunch-type dishes.
A pasta dish at Mama Mia 44SW. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Currently, dinner entrees range from the low to mid $20s with a few seafood dishes costing more than $30. You’ll also save a little if you pay in cash rather than by credit/debit card.
A pasta dish at Mama Mia 44 SW. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
So many tourists fail to venture west of Eighth Avenue when they come to Times Square, but Ninth Avenue is where the best restaurants in the area can be found. And Mama Mia 44SW is one I highly recommend, especially pre-theater.
If you’re going to a concert at New York City’s Carnegie Hall (pictured above) in the near future, you may wonder where to have a meal. There are countless restaurants in the area, but here are my favorites.
La Grande Boucherie is my number one choice. It’s a classic French menu and definitely a luxury experience, though not outrageously priced. It’s just a few blocks south of Carnegie Hall on West 53rd Street off Seventh Avenue. It’s also great for brunch if you’re staying near Carnegie Hall, or you’re going to a matinee. Read my full review of this restaurant here.
La Grande Boucherie restaurant. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
La Bonne Soupe is another French option. It’s a little bit east of Carnegie Hall on West 55th Street. I am disappointed that they removed their terrific crepes from their menu, but there’s still much to love from seafood to classic boeuf bourguignon. And they have good value prix fixe options for both lunch and dinner.
Russian Tea Room. Okay, if you hate French food, or you just aren’t in the mood, this famous restaurant is a must at least once. The ambience is gorgeous, and you never know who you might see there! (I saw Ringo Starr my first time there.) Located on West 57th Street, the restaurant even serves vegetarian dishes now, such as wild mushroom stroganoff. Or if you’re a meat eater, try the Beef Wellington or the apricot-glazed duck breast with braised red cabbage and an apricot cherry chutney. Yum! Entrees are $35-$60.
Redeye Grill. This popular spot that’s sometimes used for opening night Broadway parties is right across the street from Carnegie Hall. Its eclectic menu is the perfect choice if you have a party with diverse tastes in food, although it does skew a little toward seafood. You can order a burger, a seafood tower, sushi, or a big dinner salad. Prices are mid-range for the area.
Trattoria del’Arte. I couldn’t miss including Italian choices for you, and this one is also right across the street from Carnegie Hall. The large menu here will surely please everyone, from its vegetable antipasto bar to seafood to meat to pasta to pizza. They have gluten-free pasta available, and prices are mid-range for the area.
Patsy’s is almost as famous as the Russian Tea Room because it was a favorite of Frank Sinatra’s! Located just west of Carnegie Hall on West 56th Street, the menu is classic Italian at mid-range prices with prix fixe options for both lunch and dinner.
If you go to any of these, let me know what you think!
The popular Las Vegas eatery, the Sugar Factory, opened on Manhattan’s corner of 8th Ave. and 44th Street. It is considered an American brasserie with a large confectionary component.
It’s a large, 2-floor restaurant with a bar and tables on the ground floor and the main dining area on the floor above. The entire upper floor was decorated in a very festive Christmas theme, with tinsel and streamers and gold and multicolored glass balls hanging from the ceiling.
The upstairs dining room at the Sugar Factory. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
They have a huge regular menu with all kinds of crowd-pleasers such as burgers, tacos, pasta, stir fries and salads and also a large dessert section and lots and lots of special cocktails, coffees and other drinks.
On the tables, they usually feature a seasonal menu and since the Xmas menu was available I ordered a humongous churros dessert platter featuring two pieces of thick French Toast, a fistful of M&Ms and ribbons of chocolate sauce and a mound of ice cream and whipped cream with the churros stuck into the whipped cream, all covered by colored sugar crystals … a truly delightful holiday extravaganza!
Christmas churros at the Sugar Factory. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
The regular menu offers sandwiches, salads, sliders, fajitas and enchiladas, loaded fries, pastas, waffles, grilled and fried dishes and more… a large and diversified menu.
The first thing I will always try to help me determine the culinary prowess of the kitchen is a soup. In this case they offered an onion soup among other possibilities, and I love good onion soup since my days in Paris. The soup was tasty and properly covered by toasted baguette slices and melted cheese put under the grill; comme il faut! The soup was not in the traditional French recipe as it had a smaller amount of the beef broth than what the classic version calls for; however it was still very tasty using an herb broth in addition to the beef and onion one and a good amount of cooked sweet onion. It was a flavorful, comforting starter.
A chicken stir fry at the Sugar Factory. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
The sesame chicken stir fry was also quite good with lots of breast of chicken cubes, herbs and green onion slices and some diced pineapple and fried rice all smothered in a brown sauce with an orchid flower crowning the dish.
Chicken enchiladas at the Sugar Factory. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
The enchiladas were fine even though the soft tortillas were a bit on the dry side. The filling was tasty with white chicken meat and lots of veggies, featuring sides of refried beans and rice covered by shredded herbs.
The rainbow sliders at the Sugar Factory. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
The table next to me ordered the sliders and the waiter delivered 5 on the plate in a rainbow of colors and, according to the couple at the table, they were delicious!
A drink at the Sugar Factory. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
They also ordered one of the specialty drinks that are served in a very large glass with dry ice, when the drink is delivered to the table, the server pours the cocktail over the dry ice and it creates a smokey effect, very spectacular!
The Sugar Factory dining room with Christmas decorations. Photo by Manos Angelakis.
The only problem I had was the American coffee… it was thin and watery. Not a particularly great way to finish a very tasty meal! I should have ordered an espresso but I did not see it in the menu until after the American coffee was delivered.
But I quibble. All in all it was a very pleasant evening experience. Flavorful dishes, descent wines and cocktails, what else can one expect?
