Mondo's Coming Back!

[DTowner]

Had anyone ever eaten at Gemmas?  Not familiar with that at all.

Steven Howard was Gemma's first chef (he had KoKoa in the same spot).  Gemma's focused on wood oven pizza and pasta.  After he left, things went south, but then the former chef from The Kitchen came in and was doing some excellent and creative food.  I believe owner of the hair salon next door owned Gemma's.  I heard there were some health issues that could have caused her to get out of the restaurant business.

Given the current set up, it shouldn't take long to reopen.

[SXSW]

I really liked Gemma's.  They had a fantastic sweet potato gnocchi when they first opened but then took it off the menu.

[rdj]

Steven Howard was Gemma's first chef (he had KoKoa in the same spot).  Gemma's focused on wood oven pizza and pasta.  After he left, things went south, but then the former chef from The Kitchen came in and was doing some excellent and creative food.  I believe owner of the hair salon next door owned Gemma's.  I heard there were some health issues that could have caused her to get out of the restaurant business.

Given the current set up, it shouldn't take long to reopen.

Yes, Jara Herron owned Gemma's.  She suffered a sudden heart attack that was related to a recent childbirth.  She was in a comma for a pretty good amount of time.  She has recently returned to work on a part time basis.  I'm sure this is directly related to her attempting to cut back on commitments following a major health scare.

[carltonplace]

Villa Revena in the Farm is worth your time and money.

Never been to Mondo's.  I wish them well.

Think Mazzios (such quality!  ) and add less flavor if that is even possible, refuse to learn the meaning of "al dente" since that is too fancy and foreign, then throw it on the floor, scoop it up throw it in a dirty mop bucket and then put it on the buffett for two or three hours.

It will make you yearn for the Pizza Hut buffet. 

[Townsend]

Think Mazzios (such quality!  ) and add less flavor if that is even possible, refuse to learn the meaning of "al dente" since that is too fancy and foreign, then throw it on the floor, scoop it up throw it in a dirty mop bucket and then put it on the buffett for two or three hours.

It will make you yearn for the Pizza Hut buffet. 

Totally there.  Love me some mop bucket.

[Conan71]

Caught some Facebook banter from this weekend.  People were saying the food is outstanding and they are showing the old B & W movies.  May have to give it a shot after all.

[midtownnewbie]

We must have been there on a bad night.  Our pizza was comparable to Mazzio's and the spaghetti and meatballs was just ok.  The noodles were nicely cooked but the sauce/meatballs were very average.

[Teatownclown]

We must have been there on a bad night.  Our pizza was comparable to Mazzio's and the spaghetti and meatballs was just ok.  The noodles were nicely cooked but the sauce/meatballs were very average.

Nope. Thanks for the honest review.

If you had lived here in the 70's and 80's you'd know, unless you have no taste. 

[Conan71]

We must have been there on a bad night.  Our pizza was comparable to Mazzio's and the spaghetti and meatballs was just ok.  The noodles were nicely cooked but the sauce/meatballs were very average.

That typifies many old Italian family recipes.  Nothing terribly special.  Angelo's was the same way.

[dbacks fan]

That typifies many old Italian family recipes.  Nothing terribly special.  Angelo's was the same way.

Funny you say that. I have since the first of the year eaten at a mom and pop Italian place in New Jersey and one here in Oregon, and I have eaten at several when I lived in Phoenix, and the difference between places is quite noticeable. I think that while all of the ones I have been to were all good, with the exception of a couple in Phoenix, there is a big difference as to what you get as to where you are. And the places I went to in NJ blew away everything I've had before, and it was not from a percieved notion. That being said, it was a long time ago that I ate at Mondo's and I have to say I wasn't that impressed with it then, and like Rex's and others that have come back to Tulsa, I think that people have eaten in similar places in other parts of the country since they left, and there is that connection to what they were, but relying on past recipies is not a home run. I still have yet to find a place that sells Coney's like Carl's or Coney I-Lander, and there is no place like Ike's for chili where I have lived.

[Conan71]

Like any other country, there are regional cooking styles: Sicilian, Venezian, Neapolitan, Romano, Milanese, Northern, Southern, etc. ad nauseum.  We have a tendency to homogenize it all into "Italian" just like about any Asian cuisine is simply "Chinese", "Indian", "Japanese", "Thai", or "Asian" even though there are probably thousands of regional influences throughout Asia.

[Gaspar]

Unfortunately, this is yet another example of resurrecting a ghost.
Nothing will ever be as good as the memories you have of it.

[Conan71]

Unfortunately, this is yet another example of resurrecting a ghost.
Nothing will ever be as good as the memories you have of it.

What if the memories you had weren't fond in the first place?

[Gaspar]

What if the memories you had weren't fond in the first place?

Show us on the doll. . .

[Red Arrow]

What if the memories you had weren't fond in the first place?

Then your memories would be validated by visiting again.