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Ask the owners of Mama Ree's Fine Italian Restaurant for their secret
ingredient, and they'll tell you it's love.
The next is family, as in their focus on providing an intimate, amiable
atmosphere for customers who walk into their
new eatery across from City Market. "We wanted something small for
friendly service, Service is what we're striving for"
Ted Villelli said during an interview with the
"Cortez Journal".
Bringing a grandmother's recipes from 1934 to 17 N. Harrison St.,
Ted Villelli and his wife, Renee, opened their restaurant at the
location
Dec. 27, 2006. The Villellis, with their dedicated young children,
Paul and Jill, spent three months revamping the snug building that
used to house Mane Cuts, including painting walls and installing a
lattice ceiling wrapped in imitation grape vines for ambience. For
an added touch, they went with scroll menus, and they're even
considering togas for their staff.
"This has been something we wanted to do forever," Renee Villelli
said.
The Villellis have quite a culinary history. Ted's father owned Papa
Joe's for 27 years in La Habra, Calif., where Ted apprenticed under
him as a chef beginning at age 10. Renee waitressed and tended bars
for 10 years, including working at Papa Joe's.
Ted's father used those old recipes, which Ted partly credits for
Papa Joe's longevity. Son Paul, a
ninth-grader at Dolores Middle School, hopes to continue the family
tradition when he grows up. He, along with his younger sister Jill,
already helps out at his parents' business, busing tables and
looking after customers.
The menu items are from Ted's grandmother's recipes, dating back to
1934. Menu selections include rigatoni, cannelloni and manicotti.
Also featured on the dinner menu are: chicken alla florentina
simmered in white wine with peppers and onions, and chicken picatta
sautéed in a buttery lemon herb sauce.
The Villellis carry the reliable Italian staples like spaghetti,
ravioli and lasagna, and Italian-style sandwiches. All items, except
the pasta itself, are made from scratch, Ted Villelli said.
But a small kitchen comes with their small restaurant, which can be
a challenge for Ted Villelli. He does all the cooking and prep work
in a 13-foot by 10 1/2-foot kitchen. Besides the family, Mama Ree's
has a total staff of four. The Villellis would like a larger
location, but only for added kitchen space, Ted Villelli said.
"I want to keep a small, intimate atmosphere," he said. Ted
Villelli wants potential customers to know they may wait longer for
their food at Mama Ree's than at other eateries, from 20 to 30
minutes. Emphasis will be on relaxing and enjoying a lovingly
prepared meal, as opposed to customers being rushed out to maintain
table turnover, he said. Reservations are recommended.
The Villellis moved to Montezuma County three years ago from Lake
Havasu, Ariz., with the intention of eventually opening a restaurant
here. Friends had told them about the area, so they checked it out
and fell in love with Southwest Colorado, Ted Villelli said.
They were tired of working for other people, and watching surly
co-workers with bad attitudes get ahead over the years. The
Villellis want to make people happy at their new establishment,
building a local following. It's locals who make a restaurant last,
he said. "I want to cater to the locals."
Restaurant lunch hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday,
with dinner hours 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 5
p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. They are closed Sunday & Monday
and serve only dinner on Saturdays. For more information, call
564-9229.
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