I’ve been a great fan of Mama D’s since it was a casual storefront at the corner of Manhattan Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Indeed, I took my wife there for a much craved dinner just before the birth of our daughter; I remember fondly how they pulled up a chair for her to sit on while we waited for a table.

That branch of Mama D’s is long gone. But new branches have appeared, guaranteeing us a regular supply of pasta and red sauce — the sort of food we’d be eating in our Little Italy, if LA had a Little Italy. But we don’t. And so, Mama D’s is here to satisfy the need.