A celebrity dinner spot that is worthy of all the hype
Mamo, located in downtown Manhattan, is a regular hotspot for some of the most famous celebrities (Beyonce, Jay Z, Joe Jonas, and more). This restaurant takes the elegance of fine dining and seamlessly melds it into the cool and chic vibe that comes with having a restaurant in the SoHo area. Mamo’s specialty is traditional Italian cuisine but modernizing it a bit, with crowd favorites such as the lobster ravioli and a truffle pizza. We got a chance to try out some of Mamo’s food and we were not disappointed. From what we heard about Mamo, we set the bar high and somehow they exceeded expectations.
As always, we started off with ordering cocktails. We got the Al Pachilli and the Cute Cumber drinks. The Al Pachilli was a subtly sweet and fruity drink made with passionfruit puree, pineapple juice, spicy grenadine, and vodka. When you take the first sip, the fruity and acidic flavor of the pineapple hits your palette first. The finish is what draws you back though where the sweet and fruity sensation eases in to a slightly spicy and subtly bitter taste that way you aren’t overloaded with perpetual sweetness. The Cute Cumber was made with Anestasia Vodka, Lillet Blanc, Fresh Cucumber, and lime juice. The flavor profile was like other cucumber drinks were the cucumber taste comes through in a way where you feel refreshed after every sip.
For the appetizer, we tried the Insalata di polpo e ceci as well as the Focaccia al tartufo. Basically, we had an octopus salad and the truffle pizza. The octopus salad was served cold and was prepared with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, lemon, and pickled cherry peppers. The salad itself was fresh and light. The acidity from the lemon and the pickles really did well to brighten up the dish and accentuate the flavor of the octopus. The truffle pizza made with parmesan, Cantal cheese, and fresh truffle was out of this world. I have had dishes with truffle where either you could not taste the truffle at all or there were too much truffle and it overpowered the entire dish. With this pizza, the flavor of the truffle was subtle, and really heightened the distinct flavors of the cheeses made with it. The pizza crust was flaky and crisp, allowing for the pizza to not be too heavy and cheesy. This pizza is definitely worth making the trip for.
For our entrees, we tried the Ravioli all’astice con cavile and the Halibut al cartoccio con fonduta di tartufo. The ravioli’s sauce was very creamy, and the caviar on top added to that nice richness. The ravioli itself was prepared well and cooked perfectly. The lobster inside was moist and sweet. The only thing I would say I had an issue with is that there was a lot pasta and the ratio of pasta provided to filling wasn’t enough. The halibut was delicious. The fish was flaky and moist and the skin was seasoned perfectly with sea salt. There was a slight kick to it, somewhat resembling that of caramelized onions that added a little contrast of flavor that was really nice to have.
For dessert, we had the pannacotta e mele and the MAMO mousse. The pannacotta was amazing. There was a very big vanilla punch to it and the apple crumble added a good texture to it. The mousse was something else. It was in a massive bowl and we had the opportunity to ladle in our own whipped cream. The whipped cream on top of the mousse was so nice and the dessert in itself was not too rich in flavor which didn’t make it for two bites and bow out situation.
Overall, our time at Mamo was wonderful. The service was top notch, the food was delicious, and the ambiance was fun. We would definitely come back just for the truffle pizza.