I called Mamma Maria to get timings for lunch and found myself talking to a woman with a heavy accent. She informed me they are open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. I immediately was excited and looked forward to delicious pizza, somehow thinking Mamma Maria from Italy was in the kitchen churning out delicious food.

I drove to 40 Washington St. and found a space on the street in front of the restaurant. I noticed outside a special on Mondays for a large pizza for $6.75. There was also a two plain slices and a soda special for $3.25.

I walked into a relatively clean space with six wooden tables spread all over. Soda refrigerators lined the wall on the right. As I approached the register, a short lady was speaking in Spanish to another worker and I realized it was the same one on the phone with me earlier — so, maybe Mamma Maria wasn't from Italy, but I was still hopeful.

I looked around and found the menu. It included pizzas, calzones, stuffed roles, salads, appetizers, soups, sandwiches, burgers and pasta. I stuck to pizza and ordered from the hot case. I noticed a plain and a broccoli and a chicken pie. I ordered a slice of each ($1.50 to $2.50).

The two slices were huge. The crust was fairly thin and the broccoli slice could be held with one hand without collapsing. The broccoli looked fresh and green and was tender, but not overcooked. The chicken pieces were crunchy but drowned in oil — it was not good at all. I couldn't taste the red sauce as the slice was buried in bland cheese. Overall, the slice was not memorable. I had a few bites and looked over to the plain slice. I had a bite and found myself looking for the salt, garlic powder and crushed pepper. Again, the sauce didn't have any flavor. The spices made a big difference and I was able to finish the slice.

The crust was reasonable, but had a strange after taste. I was not impressed, especially since Star Tavern was around the corner. I found myself thinking of the fabulous meal I had there amid the large crowd. I realized it doesn't take much to make delicious food — sometimes it is as simple as using the right amount of salt. Also, buying fresh and healthy ingredients helps.

Rating: O (one orange)