A family-owned Italian restaurant has sprung up in a former gas station in Celina: Called Mangiamo Italian Market & Deli, it’s located at 203 W. Pecan St, next to the Celina Area Heritage Association Museum, where it just opened in late January.
Mangiamo Italian comes from Jason Algiere and his dad, Robert, who previously did restaurant renovation work before opening this, their first restaurant. (And though it shares a name, there’s no connection to a Mangiamo Italian Market and Deli in New York.)
According to Jason, cooking is part of their family heritage; he's been in the kitchen since he was a child.
Their website traces their roots to three generations ago, when "the Algiere men of Acri, Italy" migrated to Rhode Island, and grew crops in their gardens in a true farm-to-table model. Now they're sharing their Italian roots in the heart of Celina.
“It’s been a way of life, the kitchen is where all the happiest memories are,” Jason says.
The concept first came to mind during the pandemic in 2020. Jason refers to the restaurant as his “pandemic baby” and says it comes from passion.
Their menu, which pulls from old family recipes, features pizza, pasta, sandwiches, meatballs, and chicken alfredo.
Pizzas come in 12- or 16-inch sizes and in creative combinations such as prosciutto & fig, or the Diavola, with salami, pepperoni, red onion, and Calabrian chiles. You can also get it by the slice at lunch for $5 to $6 each.
Cannoli from MangiamoMangiamo
Customers have compared their pizza to what you’d find in New York, saying it’s some of the best they’ve had, unlike anything else in North Texas.
The key to the perfect pizza crust, Jason says, is letting it "cold ferment" — a process where bakers chill dough in order to make it rise more slowly.
"Slowing down the growth of gluten proteins gives it more flavor," Jason says. "For ours, we use Homestead Gristmill in Waco and we add red wheat to the flour. They still use a giant stone wheel to crush their wheat, and the red wheat gives it an extra kind of nuttiness or flavor."
They're big on sandwiches. There are grinders — hot sandwiches — such as Philly cheesesteak; cold sub-style sandwiches such as the Italian, with provolone and all the deli meats on a roll; and a selection of bountiful sandwiches on focaccia, made with a Rhode Island uncle's recipe, in varieties such as chicken or eggplant parmesan.
Five salads include chicken Caesar, a chopped salad, and the Market salad with arugula, artichoke hearts, and olives, priced from $14 to $14.50. Desserts include tiramisu, cannolis, and limoncello butter cake. They serve wine and beer, as well.
Service is fast-casual where you place your order at the counter, then grab a table in their bright, nicely appointed dining room, boasting racks around the perimeter with gourmet foods imported from Italy and around the world: olive oil, crackers, hot sauces, and more. Once they get rolling, they'll sell some of their deli meats and sauces, as well as their housemade breads.
The Denim Danger is one of Lemma's popular specialty drinks.Photo courtesy of Lemma Coffee Co.