Sometimes it's tough being the new kid in town, especially when the town is a closeknit place like Bridgeport. But Mama Lucia's Restaurant & Catering is slowly finding its niche here, after relocating from Norristown a year ago.

"When customers from Norristown heard I opened up in Bridgeport they made a point to come here and I'm so honored to have a following like that," said owner Greg Vincenzi. "I've been closed for three years and they still ask, 'Are you Mama Lucia's from Norristown? Great, we'll be in.' That makes me feel good."
The restaurant -- if the name didn't tip you off, the cuisine is decidedly Italian-oriented -- earned its reputation 10 years ago when it opened in Logan Square Shopping Center. The eatery's namesake, Greg's mother, Lucia Vincenzi, was happy to accompany her son to Bridgeport, having inspired many of his culinary specialties.

"A lot of my recipes are based on my mom's old-school recipes and I jazzed them up and made them modern," Vincenzi said. "The marinara sauce recipe, to name just one, has been in the family for generations. Some recipes are pretty standard, but there are little things you do here and there in the cooking to change it around." The "cavatelli de casa" started with the basics from Mama. From there, Vincenzi decided to have some fun with the dish by adding shrimp, broccoli, roasted peppers and cheese. "I'm off the cuff, man," he said, laughing.

Recently he tossed some fresh tilapia with spinach, capers, olives, broiled scallops, shrimp and lump meat crab cake for a few out-of-towners and they loved the creation, vowing to come back for an encore before long. Growing up in a restaurant family, it was only natural that Vincenzi would one day open a place of his own. "It's just in my blood. My stepdad Vince was in the pizza business his whole life and I learned a lot from him," he said of his mentor, who owned the long-gone Angelo's in Flourtown and Mama Pagano's in East Norriton. "My grandparents were even in the food business back in Italy, where they had a corner market kind of thing, their own cheeses and helping out all the needy people."

Vincenzi's handcrafted approach begins with antipasto selections like "mozzarella corrozo" (sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and olive oil) and the Italian antipasto (roasted peppers, tomato, eggplant, olives, assorted cheeses and meats). The pasta side of the menu keeps diners satisfied with a variety of homemade sauces, including Bolognese, Carbonara, Arrabiato and Calabrese. No fewer than 20 lunch and dinner specials at $5 each -- including shrimp in a basket, spaghetti and meatballs, cheese steak and French fries and crab cake sandwich -- keep both the noontime and supper crowds guessing what their appetites may demand from day to day. Any dish can be customized according to taste, Vincenzi said.
"I do special requests all the time. Like if a guy comes in and can't have any butter I'll cook up something special for him." A restaurant owner needs to be "married to the business" if he plans to be successful, Vincenzi said. Luckily, he's not planning to divorce Mama Lucia's anytime soon.

"I'm not in it just for the money; I'm in it because I love to cook for people," he said. "When I see somebody sit back and say, 'Wow, that was the best meal I've ever eaten,' it gives me such a sense of pride."