Taste of Sacramento: River Park neighborhood offers a classic Italian ristorante

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Everyone loves Mamma Susanna.

Mamma Susanna’s Ristorante Italiano has been a favorite in River Park for about 15 years. It’s a hole-in-the-wall tucked in a strip mall at the entrance to the neighborhood.

But somehow that just adds to the charm. The place is family-run and family friendly.

There aren’t a lot of places to dine out in River Park. Mamma Susanna’s comprises roughly half of available options.

Sure, you could get in the car and go foraging for restaurants somewhere else. But sometimes you just want to have a few glasses of wine and then walk home. And sometimes you crave a pound of steamed clams in a garlic herb wine broth.

The restaurant is owned by Michelle Gully and her husband, Bob Gully. Michelle used to work for Mamma Susanna’s as a server and manager. After 10 years on the job, she knew exactly how the place worked and how to run it.

And then in 2015, Gully had a chance to buy the restaurant. Husband Bob was busy with his own gig; he was a nine-to-fiver at a rice plant. But he was supportive. So they made the leap and bought the place.

The new business model was simple: keep on doing the old business model.

Recently, the Gullys’ daughter, Breannah, has been assuming the role of “Susanna.” She stepped in to help her mother, who had some health issues.

“I like helping out my family — we’re really close” said Breannah. “I love them and I love how much passion they put into the restaurant.”

She gets the concept: good food, casual vibe. Neighbors like to eat there.

“It’s…a homey place,” Breannah said. “We’re just a tiny little mom-and-pop shop.”

The food is made from scratch and made to order. There’s a bar area at the front of the restaurant. It has French pub tables and a TV. Watch the ballgame. Have a beer.

The main dining room is on the other side of a partition. The decor is simple, with red-checkered table cloths. It’s a good place for families.

They start you off with a carafe of water and some dipping bread (focaccia) with oil and vinegar.

The menu includes a range of appetizers, pasta dishes, and pizzas. According to Breannah, the house favorite is the Penne Norcina ($17), a combination of penne, sliced Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, marinara cream sauce and Parmesan cheese.

If you go

Mamma Susanna’s

Where: 5487 Carlson Dr, Sacramento

Menu: https://mammasusanna.com/dinner-menu/

Phone: 916-452-7465

Mamma Susanna’s has a new neighbor in the strip mall.

The Coconut River Park is a Thai place serving lunch and dinner. It’s owned by the same folks who created The Coconut Midtown and Drunken Noodle Powered by Coconut.

Appetizers range from $4.95 to $8.95 and include items like fresh rolls, cheese wontons, fried calamari and sweet potato fries.

Entrees cost between $10.95 to $16.95 for an entree, depending on your choice of meat (chicken, beef, calamari, shrimp, tilapia) or tofu. “Special dishes” include an array of curries: pumpkin red, pineapple red, avocado yellow, avocado green.

The menu has a handy little key to let you know which items have vegan and/or gluten-free options available.

If you go

Coconut River Park

Where: 5489 Carlson Dr, Sacramento

Phone: 916-993-8942

This story was originally published March 2, 2020 at 4:00 AM.