Mama Mia's Pizzeria

Mama Mia's Pizzeria
1345 W. Granada Blvd.
Ormond Beach, FL 32174
(386)673-4663

If you like authentic New York style pizza, your search is over in the Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach area. I was craving a good pizza the other day and tried to call Joe's New York style pizza in Ormond Beach. The operator kindly told me the number was no longer in service. This was hard for me to believe since they really made a good pie. My taste buds were looking forward to something different and didn't want to settle for one of the chain pizza joints. I remembered my buddy Bob telling me about a place called Luigi's in Ormond Beach that had opened not long ago and decided to ride up there to order my pie. Nothing could have prepared me for what I found.

When I got to the Luigi's location, I found that it too had closed and was now named Mama Mia's Pizzeria. This location previously housed the Krispy Kreme location in Ormond Beach. Since I wanted a pizza this turned out to be a perfect opportunity to try a new location. Upon entering the first thing that struck me was the decor. They have done a really nice job of giving the place an authentic pizzeria feel. There are a number of tables with plenty of seating and an open kitchen where you can watch them make your pie. My order was a large pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and extra cheese. As I stood at the counter waiting for the server to grab me a beer I ordered, someone said hello to me from the kitchen. It was the same guy that used to make the pies at Joe's New York Pizza. I asked him what happened down at Joe's and he told me he really didn't know. They came into work one day and the place was closed. I told him that was too bad as I felt they made the best pizza around.

The restaurant was not really busy that night, but there were a few tables that were taken. I perused the menu while waiting for my pizza and noticed they serve just about everything you would expect to find in a pizzeria. Pasta dishes, sandwiches, calzones and what has to be one of the biggest strombolis I have ever seen in my life. A table for two ordered one near me and they seemed quite surprised when the server brought it to the table. This thing was the size of a small pillow. It was baked to a delicious looking golden brown and was clearly filled with mounds of goodness.

My pizza was boxed up and brought out to me and I got a surprise of my own. When the large was ordered, I hadn't really looked at the size. It turns out it was much bigger than I needed for my small family. After arriving home we dug into the pizza right away and it was incredible. The crust was baked perfectly, the sauce had a wonderful flavor and the toppings were all deliciously fresh. It is also clear Mama Mia's uses a good quality mozzarella cheese on their pizzas. It had a wonderful consistency and great flavor. The three of us were only able to eat half of the pizza. Good thing pizza is one of those foods that also tastes great the second time around.

My hopes are that Mama Mia's can make things work for them at this location as I plan on this being my go-to spot for pizza from now on. Of course there is also a plan to get in there one night to see what that stromboli is all about. For my first visit to Mama Mia's, I have to give them four Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry