The Mama D's Story

My family and I extend to you our warmest, most heartfelt welcome. Please come in, relax, and enjoy the hospitality of our neighborhood, Italian Kitchen. My name is Diane – but everyone just calls me “Mama D!” (That’s me on the right with my husband John)

My Italian Grandmother was born in the historic and wondrous city of Salerno, in Southern Italy. From the time she was a little girl, until the time she married and started her own family, my grandmother learned how to cook each and every one of our family’s recipes to perfection.

These recipes have been in our family for hundreds of years. In fact, I used these same, family recipes when I cooked for my husband and 7 – yes, I said 7 – children. (Oh and by the way – you get extra points if you can pick out Chris from the family photograph.)

Each one of my 7 children was required to be home by 1:00 pm on every Sunday for Family Cooking Day. On these Sundays, we shared, we laughed, and most importantly, we loved. On these Sundays, it was my honor to pass on our family’s legacy of recipes and traditions to my children.

We lived in New York, but we then decided to move to the West Coast. Because we loved the beach so much, we moved to Southern California. We opened the first Mama D’s in the heart of Manhattan Beach and the rest, as they say, is history.

We’ve been serving up the Southbay’s finest Italian cuisine for over 30 years with our authentic, time-tested recipes. We use only the finest ingredients, and you can taste our love for tradition in every bite – from our kitchen, to your heart.

We hope to see you soon, and remember ~

 “When You’re at Mama D’s, You’re Family!