Mamma Roma | 8743 Piney Orchard Parkway, Odenton |410-695-0247 | mammaromas.com
Your first impression when walking into Mamma Roma in Odenton is the welcoming presence of Teresa Romeo. Customers and employees just call her Mamma.
“She has become the symbol of the restaurant,” says her son Bruno.
While Teresa is the soul and symbol of the establishment, her sons Bruno and Rino run the day-to-day operations. Bruno takes care of the finances and Rino is king of the kitchen.
The restaurant–which will celebrate its 16th anniversary in January–opened in 2005 and uses decades-old family recipes from back home in Italy. In the early days, Mamma Roma only had a few employees. Now, they have about 30. And they handle not only the in-house dining, but also catering, curbside service (going on four years), and the Piccolo Espresso Bar, which features Kimbo Coffee imported from Italy.
“When you come in, you feel like you never left home,” Rino says. Customers come to snatch up favorites like pizza, pasta, subs, and desserts. We recently sat down to talk to Bruno and Rino about their mother Teresa, the restaurant’s best sellers, and their family recipes.
Bruno, is the family business heavily involved around your mom?
Yes, she is great. Everybody calls her Mamma. She asked in the beginning, “Why does everybody call me Mamma?” I say, “Because they see you as a Mamma.” The employees even call her Mamma. She greets all the customers and takes care of them. She takes the orders, sends it to the kitchen, and we have the team to take care of the rest.
Do you take care of the business side and Rino the kitchen?
That’s correct. Rino is more focused on the kitchen, ingredients, and recipes. He has a passion and a gift. You give him three ingredients and he’ll come up with magic. He is just great in the kitchen. You give me three ingredient and I say, “What do you want me to do.” I focus more on the business side. If it comes to one thing, I concentrate on the pizza.
What are your best-selling items?
Pizza. Fresh dough on a daily basis is important. We import tomatoes from Naples, Italy. We use them to make two sauces: pizza sauce and marinara. Some places use a blend. We also use 100 percent mozzarella cheese. It’s called Grande Mozzarella and it’s made in Wisconsin. The families and kids love our pepperoni pizza. We also have white gourmet pizza, which is a mix of vegetables, garlic, olive oil, and mozzarella cheese. No sauce. We have others that are popular like chicken parmesan and Momma cheese steak pizza. Lasagna is also a favorite. We have been using the same recipe since day one. Baked ziti is another one of the biggest selling items.
Tell me about your family recipes.
The recipes are from my mother and grandmother. These go back to the 1950s. Where we grew up in (Naples) Italy, where the culture is home cooking. We cooked at the house every single day—lunch, and dinner. We try to bring back those memories.
What is your restaurant background?
I have worked in restaurants for 25 years. It’s normal to work in restaurants in Italy. I went to school and worked in restaurants. I started off as a dishwasher and I was a dining room manager in a relative’s restaurant for two years, doing wedding parties and birthday parties. My father also had a restaurant in Italy.
Please talk about your catering business.
Families rely on us when they have a special occasion. They call me and ask, “Can you do catering? My kids want your food.” I say, “I got it.” We do wedding rehearsals, graduations, and birthday parties. It’s usually the same customers that have relied on us for years. Momma Roma is becoming a signature for the family. That makes us very proud. I used to see kids with their parents. Now, they are adults coming to pick up the food.
Rino, how did you learn how to cook?
My grandmother inspired me the most. She showed me a lot of stuff when I was a child. I graduated from culinary school, Angelo Celletti, about 10 miles from home. I have a big dream and project I am working on—I have a show established on YouTube.
What are the highlights of the Piccolo Espresso Bar?
It’s unique and one of a kind. You can’t find these types of cookies anywhere else. We bake cakes and cookies. People love the pistachio chocolate cookies. The major thing is the espresso beans. We get them from the Naples region of Italy. I have tried a lot of coffee, and I think it’s the best I have had.
Can talk about the charity work you do?
We have done it through Reach Across America for three years. We put wreaths at the graves of military veterans at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery in Prince George’s County. We worked together and placed 100-something wreaths last year. I feel honored to help the military and the veterans. To have that bond with them is a great thing.
Shrimp Barca
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 large shrimp
- 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped garlic
- 1 Tbsp. green peppercorns in vinegar
- 1 Cup Alfredo sauce
- loaf of Italian bread
- fresh chopped parsley to taste
Directions
Sauté the shrimp with fresh garlic and peppercorns in a mix of olive oil and a touch of butter. Add Alfredo sauce when garlic is golden brown. Simmer everything until it’s nice and creamy. Meanwhile, toast four slices of Italian bread. Pour the cream and shrimp on top. Sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley on top and Buon Appetito!
