Mamma Mia (14B Pacific Ave, Mt Maunganui)

I can safely say that even after living in Italy, my appetite for pizza and pasta has never once faltered. I love it. Comfort food at its best; I must admit that my default is to usually order pizza. Not on this occasion; as orders from around the table were taken, I realised that this would be a good opportunity for me to try a pasta dish.

Mamma Mia is tucked away just off the main street of the Mount, and although it looks only small it actually fits a surprising amount of people. It is BYO (corkage is free), but has a few wines and beers available also. The staff are authentically Italian, and are super pleasant and knowledgeable. Although it took awhile for them to come take our order, I am happy to attribute that to the fact that our large group chatted for a long time before making it obvious we were ready to order.

The food itself was pleasant. I had been warned that the pasta portions were small, and I can understand how a guy may think that – but the sauce on the Wild Pork Ravioloni was rich enough that the serving size was entirely adequate for me. We were full, but it was hard to say no to dessert: especially when it calls for chocolate lovers and requires 20 minutes notice to bake! A bunch at the table ordered it and we weren’t disappointed – who can deny a chocolate lava cake, steaming hot and oozing chocolatey goodness! The tiramisu was also wonderfully authentic. Needless to say, we went home having eaten way too much (always the way when I eat Italian!).