November 15, 2001
MAMMA LUISA'S
Newport dining without breaking the bank
Visits to Italian, Indian and multi-ethnic restaurants remind our critic of her favorite movies

By MERIDITH FORD
Journal Restaurant Reviewer

For me, the words Newport and restaurants conjure images of grand mansions and lavish antique inns, serving food that a decade ago would have been called ``continental cuisine'' -- well-prepared and classically European-influenced; decidedly expensive.

I went in search of another Newport; one that goes beyond the usual serving of the classics -- one that ventures into a more common realm for a more commonly budgeted diner. And one without a tuxedoed waiter, filet mignon or 300-bottle wine list in sight.

Straight from the screen

I love food, and I love movies. Often, a meal or a certain food will remind me of a favorite scene in a movie. At Mamma Luisa's, the food brought memories of the scene from A Room With a View where Julian Sands's character sweeps across a wheat field, takes Helena Bonham Carter in his arms and lays the biggest, sexiest kiss on her the world has ever known.

That kiss. I kept going back to it as I delved into a mix of tiny, fresh leaves of arugula with radicchio and endive. Think of it as a kind of cross-referencing of sensual experiences. What really put things over the top was the trio of sweet dates, layered with walnuts, goat cheese and red grapes, lightly dressed with a tangy, mouth-puckering honey-mustard vinaigrette.

Mamma Luisa's food is made by chef/owner Marco Trazzi and his wife Antonietta, Alessandro and Manuela Ancarani, all from Bologna, and Maria Manuela Marangoni, from Venice. The restaurant is named after Trazzi's mother, a painting of whom graces not only the big yellow sign out front, but also one of the walls in the cozy dining room. Her expression is one of approval, it seems.

My expression was one of approval as well. With each dish, the layered flavors of Northern Italian cooking -- the area that is home to Parmigiana Reggiano, prosciutto and Balsamic vinegar -- came rushing over me, just like that kiss.

The restaurant is housed in a tiny Victorian-style walk-up in the Fifth Ward district of Newport. Though it's on Thames Street, its location is far past the maddening crowds that normally bog down this bustling thoroughfare. The tiny dining rooms are decorated like a home, and reminded me a little of visits to my grandmother's house.

A spread of fava beans, laced with the flavors of garlic and olive oil, was brushed over large slices of crusty grilled bread and dotted with shavings of the sharp flavor of pecorino and rich, buttery slivers of prosciutto. Both dishes were perfect preludes to what was to come.

Meanwhile, our waitress could not have been more helpful and amusing. While waiting momentarily to be seated, we had danced around each other several times in the small corridor in front of the steep, narrow stairs that lead to the little upstairs dining area. Later, arriving at the table with a basket of warm Italian bread, she coyly asked, ``Would you like to tango?''

She described a pasta dish -- a special for the evening -- stuffed with ricotta, spinach and lobster in a way that could've had me eating it from the palm of her hand. Two roulades of tender, perfect, wide egg-ribbon noodles were stuffed with a creamy, rich filling of ricotta cheese, spinach and sweet, succulent shreds of lobster meat. The dish was dressed in a snappy concoction of chopped tomatoes and onions, its refreshing astringency a good balancing act for the sweetness of the lobster and cheese.

A soft rustic woodsiness dominated the flavor of a pork loin stuffed with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese and bathed in a light cream sauce with spinach and mushrooms. It was a warming dish, one that made me long for the hearty flavors of fall and winter -- perfect for a chilly autumn evening.

Almost all of the desserts are house-made -- and all were like a textbook offering of Italian sweets. I opted for two of the most common -- tiramisu and caramel custard. Both came beautifully laid out on the eclectic mix of china Mamma Luisa's uses for all its dishes, with a dreamy scoop of sweetened whipped cream, drizzles of chocolate sauce and a dusting of confectioner's sugar.

The caramel custard -- here sliced and with a sweet dough crust and called fiore di latte (flower of milk) -- was a giggly mix of egg and cream with the rich, dark flavor of caramel that made me gleefully thankful for the nuns who centuries ago invented this dish. The tiramisu was lighter than air, with a fluffy mascarpone filling, but because I'm such a coffee junkie I wanted more coffee flavor.

The restaurant has a well-selected wine list, with many fine Italian selections, with bottles from $19 to $250. Appetizers are $3.95 to $7.95; pasta dishes, such as egg-ribbon pasta with Bolognese sauce or butternut squash-and-cheese-filled ravioli are $11.95 to $$15.95. Entrees are $15.50 to $16.95 (excluding a veal chop with porcini mushroom sauce that is $23.50). Desserts are $7.

I have a friend who, when still unmarried at 38, kept telling me that she was ``waiting for that kiss in the wheatfield.'' She's since happily tied the knot, but if she hadn't, I'd recommend Mamma Luisa's as an excellent substitute.

Mamma Luisa's, 673 Thames St., Newport, 848-5257. Casually upscale. Reservations accepted. Not wheelchair accessible. No smoking. Open daily for dinner from Memorial Day to Columbus Day from 5 to 10 p.m., closed on Wednesdays the rest of the year. V, MC, AM. Highchairs available. On-street parking and in small lot at rear of building. $$.