Home of Toasted Ravioli?

A beautiful Friday night prodded us to dine on the Hill. That and a gift certificate and a blog. We chose Mama’s on the Hill, a fixture in the neighborhood.

Upon being seated, the first thing I noticed – the lack of a wine list. What? But that’s how I figure out what to eat. So I started with the food menu and found my meal immediately. Melanzana Parmigiana. As I’ve mentioned before, I try to order something I can’t make at home. I’ve actually tried. Instead, I created greasy eggplant hockey pucks covered in tomato sauce and cheese. I ordered the dinner because salad and side were included. I could’ve skipped the eggplant and salad for an entire plate of the side – sautéed green beans with prosciutto and red peppers.

I can’t really discuss Bob’s dinner of Chicken Saltimbocca because I was luxuriating in my green beans. All this and leftovers too. Oh. The beverages. We just got a couple of pinot noirs. Of course, right after we ordered, Bob noticed that suggested wine pairings were listed with most dinners. Whatta ya gonna do?  One very disturbing menu item – a giantmeatball. Eat it in under hour it’s not only free, it comes with a T-shirt. I truly despise all eating challenges.

While the restaurant is large, it is divided up into three dining rooms that made it cozier. At one point we heard the dulcet tones of a server singing someone a Happy Birthday. Our non-singing server, Josh, treated us like his girlfriend’s parents – charming and attentive. (I have no idea if Josh has a girlfriend)

History Lesson Time

The toasted ravioli may have been accidentally invented here by a clumsy chef dropping a ravioli in oil instead of water. Or maybe not. However they came to be, toasted ravioli are now served across the country.

Originally known as Oldani's, the restaurant dates back over sixty years. In 1982, Mama Campisi herself renamed and reopened the restaurant as Mama Campisi’s. Mama's sons, John and Frank, took over the restaurant and proudly serviced The Hill for nearly two decades. In 2005, however, they had to close up shop due to personal reasons.  

Realizing the importance of the restaurant to the community, Lance and Andrea Ervin quickly bought the establishment. They reopened Mama's on The Hill in February 2006 to great fanfare of the residents and businesses of The Hill.