Mamma Bell's Pizza/Restaurant
47-40 Bell Blvd., Bayside • 718.281.0806/0808
By Teresa Barile

Customers at Mamma Bell's Pizza Restaurant on Bell Blvd. in Bayside claim that this is the best pizza in town. I have to say that the combination of fresh sauce and quality cheese, along with a special baking technique renders an extra crisp crust which is tender to chew. 

Owner George Mirmigos took over the helm at Mamma Bell's Pizza last July and spends seven days a week making delicious pizza, calzones, heros, sandwiches, burgers, gyros and full restaurant-quality entrées as well. What's more, George creates his fabulous entrées using his own recipes developed over many years and each entrée is prepared with the finest ingredients and made to order.

Some of Mamma Bell's signature pies include the lasagna pizza, Greek veggie pizza with spinach, tomato, olives, red onion and feta cheese and old-fashioned Grandma pizza. Mamma Bell's will even make a pizza with healthy whole wheat dough. Cheese pies start at just $11 for a 16-inch pie and there are money-saving family menus which include a large pie, 4 buffalo wings, 4 chicken fingers, 4 mozzarella sticks and 5 garlic knots and a large bottle of soda for just $22.95. There's even a student special for after school that includes 2 slices and a fountain soda for $3.99.

Mamma Bell's has much more than pizza. At lunchtime, the display cases are packed with freshly baked vegetable pinwheels, sausage rolls and rice balls. A large selection of freshly made wraps includes Mamma's wrap with grilled chicken, sautéed spinach and mushrooms and the Mexicana wrap with spicy grilled chicken, tomato, avocado, salsa and sour cream. Some of the most popular hot heros are the meatball hero, made with George's own recipe meatballs, and the Philly cheese steak sandwich, dripping with cheese and juicy onions. The burgers here are made from 8 ounces of 100% Angus beef and can be topped your way and served deluxe style with crispy fries. Healthy salads, such as the house, Caesar and Greek, are tossed to order and can be topped with grilled chicken or grilled vegetables. To give you an idea of how popular the food is, the cooks go through 120 pounds of chicken and 60 pounds of meatballs each week, and so it's always fresh, never frozen. Gyros, souvlaki and grilled chicken can be stacked onto a sandwich or prepared on a platter for lunch or dinner, to stay or to go.

What comes as a surprise to most people is the quality and presentation of the entrées here. Veal or chicken Marsala and chicken Francese are among the most popular entrées and with good reason. The meat is fork tender and served with restaurant-quality house made sauces in abundant portions. The price of entrées ranges from $9 - $15 and come with bread and choice of linguine or penne. For just $2 more, add a side salad to complete your meal. Even standard fare such as eggplant or chicken parmigiana is done well here. Pasta dishes start at just $7 and include the popular penne alla vodka, fettuccine carbonara with smoky bacon and cheese or meat tortellini with the house's own tomato sauce. This sauce is so popular, many ask for a side order of sauce for dunking bread into or to take home. Mamma Bell's baked lasagna is made with 4 cheeses and the ravioli, stuffed shells and manicotti will keep the kids happy.

 

Mamma Bell's provides full catering services and is proud to cater to nearly every school and many businesses in the neighborhood. They offer free delivery in a wide area encompassing neighborhoods from Alley Pond to Bay Terrace. They're open seven days a week from 11am to 10pm Mondays through Thursdays, from 11am to 11pm Fridays and Saturdays and from 12noon to 9pm on Sundays. Check their ad for special family packages, and credit cards are accepted. For great pizza, sandwiches, heros, gyros, entrées, salads and more, call or visit Mamma Bell's Pizza Restaurant on Bell Blvd. in Bayside.