topic Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC?? in Kitchen

Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

Barbarainnc — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:12:39 GMT

I went there in 1977. My school went there for the Macy's Day Parade. I still have a menu somewhere. I remember ordering lasagna. I was wondering if there was a cookbook, so I looked on Amazon. I found a copy there and ordered.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

saversmom — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:32:36 GMT

I knew about it, but, I never had an opportunity to visit.

It seems like it was fun.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

Shelbelle — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:35:20 GMT

Yes, my parents often went to NYC for weekends in the 50's and 60's and went there. It was legendary.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

ChynnaBlue — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:35:28 GMT

No, but I heard Mama Leone left a note on the door, she said "Sonny move out to the country."

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

Luvitorleaveit1 — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:39:56 GMT

Yes oh my goodness my parents took me there after seeing a play when I was a young girl. Never knew why it closed but the food and service were top notch that I remember.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

ChynnaBlue — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:51:29 GMT

On 4/11/2014 LuvitorLIT said:
Yes oh my goodness my parents took me there after seeing a play when I was a young girl. Never knew why it closed but the food and service were top notch that I remember.

January 11, 1994

Tourists heading for Mamma Leone's restaurant in Manhattan's Theater District will have to get their meatballs elsewhere for a while.

The restaurant is seeking a new location after closing its doors at 261 West 44th Street yesterday.

The rent and other costs of doing business there got too high, said Bill Menzel, a spokesman for Restaurant Associates, which owns Mamma Leone's and 120 other restaurants.

Mr. Menzel refused to comment on what other locations are being considered. "It's nice to be in the Theater District, but not critical," he said.

Mamma Leone's was founded in 1906 by Mamma Louisa Leone. About 30 years ago, the Leone family sold the restaurant to Restaurant Associates.

(Source: http://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/11/nyregion/mamma-leone-shuts-doors-in-manhattan.html)

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

gardensla — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:55:17 GMT

Now that brings back memories. The first trip I took to NY we went there and I remember vividly the decor! Lights everywhere, lots of kitch. Don't remember the food!

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

Bird mama — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:20:34 GMT

I went there the first time I ever visited NYC. I remember vividly, the old waiter that was assigned to my table. I ordered my dinner and asked for coffee. He said I couldn't have the coffee because it would ruin the dinner. He recommended a wine instead to compliment the meal. I didn't argue - the guy was really old. He finally brought me my coffee with dessert. Wonderful experience.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

maryebrown_1 — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:24:03 GMT

On 4/11/2014 ChynnaBlue said:
No, but I heard Mama Leone left a note on the door, she said "Sonny move out to the country."

I love that Billy Joel Song!

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

VaBelle35 — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:25:23 GMT

I went on many a school trip to NYC and we always ate at Mamma's. Lots of good memories from those days. I just remember huge trays of cheese on pedestals, like the pizza pedestals most NY Pizza places use.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

PINKdogWOOD — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:26:09 GMT

I went on a class trip of my younger sister's one year and we spent a long weekend in NYC. They split up everyone into smaller groups for dinner prior to us all meeting back up to see a play. My group went had dinner at Mama Leone's. It was great from what I recall.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

VaBelle35 — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:26:22 GMT

I'm sure every child who ever came to DC on a field trip went to Scholl's Cafeteria.

It's the thing.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

brewhaha — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:26:32 GMT

On 4/11/2014 ChynnaBlue said:
No, but I heard Mama Leone left a note on the door, she said "Sonny move out to the country."

And working too hard can give you a heart attack-tack-tack-tack-tack

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

golding76 — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:34:45 GMT

I do. It once was the place where out-of-towners chose to go as their big-time New York restaurant visit.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

Luvitorleaveit1 — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:35:03 GMT

On 4/11/2014 ChynnaBlue said:
On 4/11/2014 LuvitorLIT said:
Yes oh my goodness my parents took me there after seeing a play when I was a young girl. Never knew why it closed but the food and service were top notch that I remember.

January 11, 1994

Tourists heading for Mamma Leone's restaurant in Manhattan's Theater District will have to get their meatballs elsewhere for a while.

The restaurant is seeking a new location after closing its doors at 261 West 44th Street yesterday.

The rent and other costs of doing business there got too high, said Bill Menzel, a spokesman for Restaurant Associates, which owns Mamma Leone's and 120 other restaurants.

Mr. Menzel refused to comment on what other locations are being considered. "It's nice to be in the Theater District, but not critical," he said.

Mamma Leone's was founded in 1906 by Mamma Louisa Leone. About 30 years ago, the Leone family sold the restaurant to Restaurant Associates.

(Source: http://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/11/nyregion/mamma-leone-shuts-doors-in-manhattan.html)

Thanks ChynnaBlue....every once and a while I pass by where the restaurant use to be, sure brings back memories.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

golding76 — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:36:41 GMT

On 4/11/2014 VaBelle35 said:
I'm sure every child who ever came to DC on a field trip went to Scholl's Cafeteria.

It's the thing.

Gads, I remember when Scholl's was closing down. Everyone went there for a last piece of pie. It was a place to visit, just like Reese's Bakery.

Their food was good, as I remember. As a young woman away from home-cooked food, I and others found its fare hit the spot.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

Sue — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:55:13 GMT

Mamma Leone's sure brings back memories. When I was in 8th grade, we went there after an Army football game. My brother was a cadet at West Point and I was so proud to see all the cadets -- I believe one of Mama's daughter's married a cadet after graduation. Am 74 now and can still remember wearing my black watch plaid coat with the velvet collar from Best & Co. with a huge chrysanthemum on the collar!!! Wow -- did I ever think I was hot stuff!! Thanks Barbarainnc for taking me down memory lane. Sue in SC

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

Jaspersmom — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 21:23:24 GMT

My parents' favorite restaurant when they went into the city.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

Ibby114 — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 21:31:38 GMT

We went there often!! Family gatherings, class trips- a dozen or so times during my youth.

About 2 years ago I went to Johns Pizzeria in midtown- supposedly the best pizza in Manhattan (I sooo disagree!!) and the venue looked so familiar. I just looked up the locale and it's the old Mama Leone's location! The interior looked exactly as I remembered it back in the 1970's and 1980's.

Re: Anybody remember Mamma Leone's Restaurant in NYC??

Flo08 — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 00:25:17 GMT

I went there in 1966. I was on a United Nations tour which included a play and a several course dinner at Mamma Leone's. I was 17 at the time and it was my first experience with multi course meals.