Following several months of delays, Mamma Lucia Cucina Italiana has now opened in the space previously occupied by Soho Bakery & Café, 431 Eastwood Road in Wilmington. 

A complete remodel was necessary, said Mamma Lucia owner Francesca Di Gioia, which led to a series of unanticipated delays. Di Gioia admitted recently that she began to have second thoughts along the way, but she said in her heart she knew she was committed to opening a restaurant in her mother Lucia’s honor.

Di Gioia is no stranger to the business, having operated Antonello’s Restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina, for 10 years. After a break during which she said she was cooking more than she and her family could ever eat at home, she figured it was time to get back to work.

Di Gioia began her culinary training with her mother at the age of 7 when she made her first sauce. She grew up in a small village on the outskirts of Rome where very traditional Italian recipes were passed down through generations.

“It was a very old-world style of cooking,” Di Gioia said. “It’s actually quite different from the spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna that many Americans think of as Italian food.”

While customers will find many Italian-American staples on Mamma Lucia’s menu, Di Gioia said she is hoping to introduce people to some of the more traditional Italian dishes such as spaghetti al cartoccio with scallops, shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams in a white wine sauce and steak pizzaiola, an eight-ounce filet topped with sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms and homemade marinara sauce.

Di Gioia cooks from every region of Italy, and everything is made to order, even the alfredo sauce. The only items made in advance are the marinara sauce and lasagna. Breads are flown in from New York, and Di Gioia also makes a variety of Italian desserts such as cannolis and tiramisu. Beer and wine are available.

Di Gioia said the menu is still a work in progress, and she may scale it back a bit to incorporate more daily specials. She will also serve brunch on Sundays, offering customers a sampling of three menu items for $12 per person.

“At most restaurants in Italy the menu changes daily based up on what is available,” Di Gioia said. “I really want to make this as close as possible to that experience by offering as many specials as possible. That makes it more interesting for me and the customers.”

Mamma Lucia is open beginning at 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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