Having thrown a surprise birthday bash for my mum’s big 60th last year, it was a slightly lower key celebration this year. After her afternoon tea treat at The Ivy in Guildford with my brother and sister, we enjoyed a family meal altogether at our favourite local Italian for the evening.
Being regulars, the owners of Mama Mia always make us feel welcome and deliver fantastic service to match the exquisite food. With a beautiful bottle of red Syrah wine on the table we toasted to mum’s birthday.
I usually opt for the Spaghetti Al Frutti di Mare which is packed with delicious seafood, but this time I chose something a little different and discovered a new favourite. The Tagliatelle Al Funghi di Bosco delivered terrific flavour using such simple ingredients of mushrooms, tomatoes and olive oil. My sister went for a pizza, mum had Petto di Pollo alla Cindy chicken in a creamy sauce and of course dad had his usual personalised dish which is the Gamberoni All Aglio prawn starter served with rice.
Before our coffees mum was treated to a profiterole stack with a candle as the restaurant joined in a happy birthday sing song. After sharing the desert we had our digestif for which I indulged in a Calypso coffee featuring a shot of Tia Maria. It was a lovely evening celebrating mum’s birthday and spending quality time with my family as we enjoyed delicious food and wine alongside friendly service; smiles all round.
Dani Aneka 