Mamma Lombardi's, an Italian Favorite for Locals

Mama Lombardi's of Holbrook has a long tradition of fine dining in an elegant atmosphere. When coupled with unique Neapolitan cuisine, a visit to their dining rooms becomes a special event.

From your first step inside their doors, Mama Lombardi's offers wonderful choices. Go to the left and their informal pizzeria dining room presents itself, with a dozen tables, a vast selection of specialty pizzas and delicacies and usually loads of hungry customers.

Go straight through to their formal restaurant and be transported to Long Island's version of Little Italy; decor and music with a distinctive, authentic European flavor, place settings of fine linen, sparkling silverware, gleaming crystal and large, cushioned, comfortable seats. Their three separate cozy dining rooms are actually appetizers themselves, warming your palate with expectations of the fine food that is on the way.

Whether you choose from their luncheon or dinner menus, the helpings are huge, the food amazingly delicious and the service prompt, courteous and very professional.

Choosing your meal is going to be the toughest problem you face, for every item sounds appetizing, especially their appetizers. For those familiar with fine Neapolitan cooking, every one of your favorites jumps off the page. The impressive feature of Mama Lombardi's offerings is that each item listed is described with details that make your mouth water.

On this particular visit, two entrees were sampled, their Chicken Campagnola and their Eggplant Parmigiana, both served with a side dish of penne topped with their own homemade tomato sauce. While their chefs prepared our meals, a heaping basket of Italian bread, garlic sticks and butter made the wait enjoyable. When the waiter came with our meals, the size of the portions was almost shocking. And, the prices are very reasonable for the amount of food they pile onto your plate. The two entrees only cost a combined $37 with tax.

Chicken Campagnola was a mountain of Italian sausages, sweet and hot peppers, gently fried potatoes, large pieces of chicken breast, mushrooms and onions. When placed before me, the mix of aromas was tantalizing. Every bite brought a new taste, all pleasing, with each forkful offering a different treat. The chicken was soft and tender.  The sausage was sweet and crisp. The hot peppers exploded on your tongue and the sweet ones were delicious and subdued.

The Eggplant Parmigiana looked endless, a "hillside" of delectable pieces covered by Mama Lombardi's homemade sauce and a thick melted blanket of mozzarella cheese.  Each healthy slice of eggplant was fried and crisp. The skin of the vegetable was removed so it literally melted away in your mouth. There was no feeling of "heaviness" associated with the absorption of oil, only the wonderful flavors of the eggplant, cheese and sauce.

The best feature of a Mama Lombardi's meal is the fact that you will be taking home much of it. There is simply too much food to eat at one sitting. Both entrees turned into wonderful dinners the next night. I suggest first microwaving the meals to heat the inside while retaining the savory moisture and then completing the reheating in the oven, to add crispness. The slight extra effort brings back the original texture of the meal as if it was freshly served.

For over 30 years Mama Lombardi's has been pleasing Long Island palates.  Their consistently outstanding meals make every visit there a pleasing adventure to the "old country."

Mamma Lombardi's

400 Furrows Road, Holbrook, NY 11741

(631) 737-0774