Mamma’s, on the Grassmarket, has been tending to local and tourist pizza needs, alike, for almost 30 years. I’d never tried it before, but tonight was the night, so I popped to see what they had to offer.
Entrance
They do a roaring trade, not least because of their outdoor seating, which spills out to accommodate many more people than can be seated in their cosy, stone-walled interior. I caught them on a rainy weekday, but the flow of customers remained steady.
They were amply staffed, but things didn’t move very quickly. It took a wee while before a smiley waitress approached, apologising as she’d been busy with others customers. That didn’t quite explain why none of the others had popped over to say hi or take my order.
Soup
I’d settled on what to have, opting for a bowl of “Ma’s soup”, a traditional southern bean soup, then one of their medium 12″ pizzas topped with chorizo and mushrooms.
The soup soon appeared and looked extremely thick, and so it proved. It was also completely lukewarm, both in terms of heat and seasoning. There was a load of sliced baguette and some very salty corn chips on the side. It didn’t seem terribly well thought out, and was quite poorly executed.
Pizza
The main course pizza was similarly underwhelming. Not since the send-back cremation of my pizza in Locanda de Gusti have I been served such a sad pie. The chorizo in the topping was fine, but the spicy tomato sauce lacked kick and had far too strong a taste of raw tomato puree. Things didn’t get better with the base, which was tough eating.
So overall, Mamma’s has three things going for it: location, location, location. Most everything else is decidedly mediocre. Next time you’re needing a pizza fix, I’d suggest you go elsewhere, as based on this evening’s visit, Mamma’s won’t put a smile on your face.
Scores
Blythe scores Mamma’s
2/5 for food
2.5/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
2.5/5 for service
giving an overall 10/20
Today’s quester was: Blythe
I ate: Ma’s soup; chorizo and mushroom pizza
I drank: peroni
I wore: white shirt
Total bill: £18.65
