A North End Favorite: Mamma Maria

I departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Valentine's Day arriving home around 7pm to surprise late dinner reservations at Mamma Maria! Located at 3 North Square on a small hill overlooking the city, it is the closest restaurant in proximity to our apartment and after a long eventful weekend and hours of travel, it was nice to only walk a few hundred feet and celebrate in a romantic setting. A thoughtful gesture preceded by a card and flowers, Adam was also thrilled to be able to once again dine here. Some years ago the pappardelle pasta with roasted rabbit captivated him and he has been proclaiming Mamma Maria his favorite North End restaurant ever since.Mamma Maria is a far cry from the classic red sauce joints of the neighborhood, serving regional Northern Italian countryside cuisine in a 19th Century brick row house with five intimate dining rooms spread over two floors. Mamma Maria exudes class and elegance while remaining cozy and authentic. We entered down a creaking narrow hallway to the coat check, peering in on the street level dining rooms as we waited, where floor to ceiling windows overlook the historic cobblestone streets. A moment later we were lead up the tiny winding staircase to a small back dining room where a dramatic panorama of the city skyline glowed in the distance. For Valentines Day they were offering a $60 prix fix three course menu. The choices were abundant and impressive, the antipasti course offering eight dishes from Tuna Tartare to Mozarella di Bufalo to Squash Soup, and the entrée selection bursting at the seams with nine choices from Halibut to Sucking Pig, Lobster Pasta to Osso Buco and more. We were given ample time to enjoy each others company and decide on our choices as we sipped our drinks, a perfectly poured Dark N Stormy ($9) for him and a NV Prosecco Zardetto ($9) for her. Enjoying a rustic loaf of bread with a flavorful pesto spread and selection of gourmet olives, the night was off to a charming start. The picture taking was almost forgone in an effort to simply relish in the holiday, almost. Adam never seems to mind and I can never seem to help it, especially when loaves of bread and dark n stormys look as elegant and inviting as these did. Tonight it is not my best dinner photography to date, but one of our best meals in the North End, without a doubt. Rabbit Polenta offered slow cooked Vermont raised rabbit in the Piedmont Style. Piedmont is a region of Northwestern Italy known for its rich dishes, red wine and slow food. Slow Food is a movement dedicated to preserving the tradition of handmade, artisanal cuisine. This dish brilliantly captures just that, producing tender gamey slices of rabbit over creamy polenta laced with crispy pancetta in a delicious sauce flavored with fresh rosemary. This supremely authentic dish has added Piedmont, Italy to a list of destinations I'd love to someday travel. Adam raved all the same about his Lobster Gnocchi containing butter poached Maine lobster over made-to-order gnocchi carbonara-style with black winter truffle. I went out on a limb for my main course (as if Rabbit wasn't exciting enough) and ordered the Suckling Pig.
Initially intimidated at this intense plate of food, I dug into the rotisserie-roasted suckling pig from Quebec wondering what I got myself into. The pig has a very distinct pork flavor, a rich taste that garnered textures of crisp skin, tender meat and moist pork belly. I came to adore the versatile textures with each bite.The pig was complimented by a warm salad of mission figs, toasted barley, baked apple and crisp arugula. A layer of tangy Gorgonzola was melted over the baked apple, which made for an enticing addition to the plate. Photographs of the leftovers for lunch the next day does justice to the individual components, the sweet luscious figs and bits of the apple, otherwise hidden in the actual restaurant pictures!Adam ordered the Bistecca a wood-grilled 16oz prime rib eye steak with aged balsamic from Modena, roasted baby turnips, and tri-colored fingerling potatoes. He cleaned his plate commenting on the perfectly cooked steak and the crispiness of the baby turnips. For the dessert course Mamma Maria offered a sampler plate for two. The element of surprise both intrigued and delighted. I was thrilled with the fact that they offered a Panna Cotta, but not just any, a lavender panna cotta drizzled in a lavender honey sauce. The texture was spot on, the ideal balance of smooth gelatin to sweet creaminess. I was shocked to learn this was Adam's first time eating panna cotta. As he remarked how much he enjoyed it, that somehow sparked the conversation of him admitting that he didn't know what it was. To think all the times we have gone out to eat together....I never knew he hadn't tried it, and he never knew it was a favorite dessert of mine. The Apple Tart was a flaky bite of warm crust topped with mascarpone cheese and a drizzle of honey. The sweet honey contrasted with the tart apple, and both benefited from the mascarpone, a traditional Italian cream cheese.The Chocolate Fonduta offered a bold cocoa flavor that was not overwhelmingly sweet. Dipped in the bowl were two pieces of slightly crisp cake squares finished off with a dusting of powered sugar. The Fig Puff Pastry was a cinnamon sugar coated bite of crisp flaky layers plated over lusciously sweet fig jam. A brilliant display of desserts all around left us highly content. The attention to detail and Italian authenticity exceedingly evident in every aspect of our three course meal makes this well worth the $60 price point. Our service was not only impeccable from start to finish, but or waiter was highly engaging. Eager to offer insight on the dishes, his natural passion for food and hospitality shined through at every instant.A dining experience where seasonally inspired foods are emphasized by traditional Italian cooking in an old-world intimate setting, Mamma Maria exceeds expectations and delivers on all accounts. Providing a memorable Valentine's Day 2011, I highly recommend this North End restaurant for a celebratory occasion worthy dine.

Mamma Maria

3 North Square

Boston MA, 02113

Boston, MA