I like finding little hidden gems and this is totally one of those places. Though credit goes to Yelp for the initial find and the 2 reviews proclaiming the excellence of this place which made me want to visit it.
This place is defintely off the beaten path, it’s a stone’s throw away from Mira Mesa Blvd., but still far enough off to make it somewhat hidden. The deli itself is a tiny little kitchen off of their larger factory looking building called “Mamma Lina’s Ravioli Company”. Two little signs point you in the direction of the deli and that’s it.
Walking into the place felt very much like walking into someone’s kitchen. A nice Italian woman greeted me and told me about their specials – they had lasagna today. I waited for a few minutes while she finished her task and then she took my order. I asked her if I could do a half and half ravioli and she said, “Absolutely.” I picked sausage and cheese. It sounded like a good choice. They also have seafood available every day. On certain days they also have mushroom, spinach & cheese, chicken and when available they have seasonal varieties like asparagus or pumpkin.
While waiting for my food, she asked me if I had ever been to the deli before. I told her no. Then she asked me if I liked Italian food. I said, yes, I love it. And she replied by saying, “Then you are in the right place!”
I watched her fix the rest of my ravioli. She asked me what kind of sauce I wanted and I requested meat sauce (they have meat, marinara, pesto, eggplant, or garlic herb butter). She scooped meat sauce from a crock pot and topped my ravioli – then she asked if I wanted pesto on it, too, and asked me if I knew what pesto was. I told her I knew what it was and I loved it and asked for the dollops of pesto. She seemed surprised that I knew was pesto was and jokingly asked if I was Italian. She then sprinkled it all with cheese and gave me the package and charged me. The total? $6 even.
I took my food outside to sit in the little courtyard area to bask in the sun while I ate my meal.
In addition to ravioli, you also get a little salad that’s simply dressed with a house vinaigrette and some bruschetta – it looks like the bread had a little pesto sauce on it. The food was awesomely good. The salad was just a nice little amount of greens and the dressing was very nice – not overpowering and light. The bread was good and crisp and tasted like it had been baked recently. It had a bright flavor and was delicious. The raviolis were also superb – the meat and pesto sauce was definitely a good idea. The pasta was flavorable and fresh and melted into my mouth. So good!
Mamma Lina’s is defintely an excellent hidden gem in Mira Mesa/Sorrento Valley. I believe they only take cash and the deli closes at 2PM and is not open on the weekends. They have other things, too, like sandwiches (think meatball, eggplant parmesan, salame and cheese, etc). If you’re in the area for work or an errand, drop in and have yourself a tasty little meal.
Mamma Lina’s
6491 Weathers Pl.
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 535-0620
