Feel the Embrace of Mama, Oakland’s New Neighborhood Pasta Palace

She’s here: Mama, the restaurant from wine professionals Stevie Stacionis and Josiah Baldivino, is now open in Oakland’s Adams Point neighborhood.

It’s the first restaurant from the team behind Bay Grape, the wine shop and bar just down the block, an ambitious expansion on the community they’ve already helped build in the neighborhood through wine classes and tasting. The restaurant serves one set price menu for $29.95, with choices of starter, pasta entree, and dessert; supplements like meatballs and bread with anchovies and butter are also available. Chef Dorian Jones will change the menu often to include what’s seasonal and with sustainability in mind. (Check out a menu below.)

Emma K. Morris

“We want people to be able to come here anytime, not just on a special occasion,” Stacionis told Eater earlier this summer. “We want them to be able to come back again and again.”

As one would (and should) expect, wine plays a big part at Mama. Baldivino’s wine list offers a healthy selection of by the glass options from California and beyond; playful icons are meant to break down the wine selection process, with a Kool-Aid man indicating a fruity, juicy wine, and a Mario Brothers mushroom for funk. Most bottles hover around $50, with a “unicorn” list for those inspired to splurge. And for the truly community minded, the menu includes the option to send a six-pack of beer to the kitchen for just $10 more.

Mama is now open seven days a week for dinner from 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; walk-ins only.

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