I am Denis O'Donnell, the manager of Mama's Pasta Bowl. I am the son of Leanora (Eleanor Celestino O'Donnell). I grew up in Glen Head, Long Island, fondly remembering my grandmother Vincenza. Even though she did not speak much English, her love for her family spoke volumes. It was an absolute treat when she would come and stay with us during the hot summer for a week or so. Before she left to go home to Astoria Queens, our freezer was stocked with her Sicilian Pizza and Arancini.

When I was 13, my Uncle Buster (Baldessaro) and my Uncle Charlie (Carlo) exposed me to my first job in Foodservice. My two Uncles owned a well known banquet hall on Broadway in Astoria Queens named Kneers Golden Pheasant. During their peak of popularity, potential wedding clients faced a one year waiting list to enjoy the quality and hospitality of the Celestino family. I was proud to be hired as an employee of Kneers. Uncle Buster would pick me up at 6am and we would drive into Queens for our long day of making memories for this weekends newlyweds. There would be three weddings upstairs and one wedding downstairs in the early afternoon and then the staff would break down and reset for another four weddings scheduled for the evening. My first job was to assemble a fruit cup for every guest that was joining us that day, stack them on sheet pans and put the sheet pans on a rack and roll them into the walk in refrigerator ready to go. When the party would start, I would be a part of the plate assembly line with the chef and other kitchen workers. The chef would cut the prime rib, pass the plate down the line where each of us would add our assigned ingredient. Prime rib, duchess potatoes, green beans and gravy, I can still taste it. By 10pm we were on our way home to Long Island. My Uncle looked over at me, handed me a $20 bill (big money in 1963 to a 13 year old) and said "good job". I was absolutely hooked. Twenty bucks for hanging around all of those fun waiters, being part of that great production, listening to the band, watching the guests laugh and dance what was not to love?

I plan to try our best to live up to the family tradition of quality food, great service and just plain caring about doing things right. Being in the food business for over 35 years I am confident that every customer's experience will end in satisfaction. Feel free to drop me a note anytime at info@mamaspastabowl.com.