Michele StuevenViva La Mamma, the new Vienna-born Italian concept on West 3rd Street, is a seamless melange of Austrian alpine textiles, Northern Italian cuisine and spritzes, all enveloped in California indoor-outdoor style, blending interior comfort with the outdoor energy and uninterrupted flow of Beverly Grove.
The 4,000-square-foot space is a combination of art installation and dining room with statement lighting, custom finishes, and plush velvet booths against larger-than-life murals, the crown jewel of which is what the team calls The Cathedral, an original spray-painted mural titled Praying Madonna with Doves, created by Austrian mural artist Max Rocks.
Viva La Mamma (Michele Stueven)
Rather than gutting and rebuilding, the Austrian Viva group made a deliberate choice to refine the existing space by reupholstering bench fabrics, adding new lighting including pink Italian glass chandeliers, and selecting wall art.
Deep reds, soft blues, and warm golds meander through the tri-level space that includes a rooftop patio with slogans like “in mamma we trust” sharing wall space with graffiti and bold graphic typography.
The whimsy, warmth, chaos, and pleasure of Italian dining translate to the menu as well.
Mamma drink menus (Michele Stueven)
Drink menus are renditions of vinyl record covers that include a full bar program and no less than ten different spritzes, including a cooling Viva La Mamma Spritz with gin, Viva La Mamma prosecco, and a mix of citrus served with a biodegradable pasta straw. Happy Hour is from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m and includes deals on focaccia pizzas, pasta tasting boards for sharing, and spritz pitchers.
And on the subject of pizza, the Sweet But Psycho is a must-order. The spicy pie combines bacon jam, Gorgonzola dolce latte with jalapeno and onion.
The housemade pasta lineup is something sorely overdue on menus. Instead of having pasta and sauces dictated to the diner, Via La Mamma gives the option to choose from pasta styles like casarecce, linguine, mafaldine, orecchiette or gluten-free spaghetti and pair them with sauces like an oozy burrata arrabbiata, rich beef ragu, the broccolicious with broccoli pesto, crispy broccoline and parmesan, or the Pacific Kiss with fresh prawns, white wine tomatoes and arugula.
Sweet But Psycho pizza (Michele Stueven)
Pair any of the above with a Summer Romance salad, an energizing combination of arugula, shaved fennel and grapefruit topped with gorgonzola and walnuts.
You’ll find the icing on the cake at Viva La Mamma’s dramatic tiramisu, enough for two. And to round it all out and settle things down before you take a stroll down West Third, indulge in a true regional grappa or schnapps from a selection you won’t easily find like this in one place anywhere else in town.
Tiramisu for two (Michele Stueven)
Viva La Mamma Spritz (Michele Stueven)