Not so long ago I’d heard a glowing report on this restaurant for the fourth or fifth time from a friend of mine who’s a foodie. So it was road trip time to Mama Maria’s in Hudson, Wisconsin.

I hate reviews that dance around. So let’s start with the pictures:

Calamari

What was left of the crabcakes after 4 minutes.

I’ve eaten my weight in calamari over the last 28 years. First in California, and then a huge amount in Spain. We used to go down to the port and buy it just as it came off the fishing boats. This wasn’t quite that fresh, but it was as good as any that you’ll get in this part of the country. The breading was nice, light, just a hint of seasoning. I don’t do the sauce, just a bit of lemon. I was happy with what I had. My wife also gave it two thumbs up. 9 out of 10 points (I like bigger rings, but you take what you get!)

I wanted to give you a great picture of the crab cakes. Not possible. They were gone before I realized it. Truly amazing. These little delights were as good as you will ever have in your life. I cannot lavish enough praise on the flavor and consistency of the crab cakes. A must. 10 out of 10 points.

Corn Chowder

While it was listed on the menu as a chowder, the dish was more accurately a corn puree. And that was the only thing wrong with it – the consistency was too smooth to be a chowder. The dish was perfectly seasoned, just a little bite and a wonderful rich flavor that had a presence of corn but wasn’t like sticking a cob in your mouth. I was only sorry that I didn’t have a large, crusty heel of good French bread to sop up an even bigger bowl of the concoction. 9 out of 10 points.

Veal Parmigiana

Seafood Canneloni

The main courses were both rather dissapointing. My wife ordered the Veal Parmigiana. I sampled it – largely because she didn’t eat very much of it. The sauce was nothing special and the veal was bland, just a bit chewey, and truly about what I’d expect if I were to order veal parmiagiana in a fast food Italian place. Totally forgettable. 3 of 10.

The seafood canneloni had promise. The amount of shrimp and scallop meat in the shell was impressive. Sadly it was overshadowed by the lackluster white sauce and the tough/overcooked pasta. I’m fine with Al Dente pasta but this was bordering on the unpleasant. A soft, smooth shell would have rescued the dish from the unimpressive sauce. As it was, it was again not worth the wait. 4 of 10.

The service was wonderful. Our waiter was top-notch, prompt, and staged the courses as I’d requested. I hate few things in life than the main course and the soup landing on the table just as you get an idea of what the appetizer is up to in your mouth. Our server brought things in a timely manner, wasn’t a “helicopter” and seemed to have his act together. He’s a 9 with attitude. He might have caught the canneloni before I got it but at first glance it didn’t look to be “bad” just a bit crisped.

Would I go again? Absolutely. I’m going to give Mama Maria’s a break on this and write it off to our coming in toward the ragged end of the dinner hour. It was obvious that they did superior job with the appetizers and soup, but the main course item may have been held a bit too long in the kitchen. It’s hard to time those items especially when the bearded guy at the table is specifically asking that they not come out too fast. And, frankly, at the end of the night it’s entirely within the realm that the cooks had passed the “I care” level with the entrees. Not forgiven but understood. If we’d stopped with the appetizers we would have walked out glowing.

Also, my friend has been there a number of times and if he continues to rave about it, I’m going to just take one for the team and presume they had a bad night. But next time I won’t be ordering either of those entrees again. I will report back once I return.

What kind of food is your favorite? Do you like the local dives or the big, fancy ones? And what’s the best/worst meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?

**this will be included in all posts until further notice. Please subscribe now to Commotion in the Pews and then “like” the Facebook author page. I will be giving away a $100 prize from Walker Farms Honey in May if, and only if, I get 100 new subscribers and 100 new likes to the author page. It stands at 67 today, needs to hit 166 before the prize can be awarded. This helps me when I approach agents and publishers trying to get my books published. Thank you!**