Mamma Lucia is a popular place for students and parents.
For the average college student, a weekend visit from parents means one thing: a much-needed break from the monotony of dining hall food.
Students and their parents have a wide variety of restaurants, in terms of both cuisine and pricing, to pick from in College Park and the surrounding area without venturing into Washington.
When junior marketing major Tom Perlozzo’s parents come to visit, they go to Mamma Lucia.
“My parents were on their way back from dropping me off one time, and it turned out to be really good and relatively inexpensive,” he said.
The College Park location of Mamma Lucia, owned by Jimmy Constantinou and university alumnus Jimmy Fragoyannis, is famous for its pizza and penne vodka, which Constantinou describes as their most popular item.
“We see lots of parents. There are a lot of people from New York who come down and just love our food,” he said. “We get nothing but compliments. … Lots of kids come here. They just love our pizza.”
Another College Park favorite for students and their parents is Hanami, which was voted best sushi and best Japanese food by Diamondback readers three years in a row.
“The majority of our customers are students, but the faculty, families and local businesses are also part of our customers,” said Hanami manager Irene Sy, who attributed Hanami’s popularity to the atmosphere and quality of the fish.
Freshman biology major Amanda Bryson and her family simply love the restaurant.
“We always go to Hanami,” she said. “It’s awesome. I’m a big sushi fan, so when we came down that was the most exciting thing. It’s kind of a tradition, since we don’t have any authentic Japanese restaurants [where I live].”
Route 1 restaurants also offer the almost 600 international students on the campus the chance to try food from other cultures or to stick with meals that hit closer to home.
As a native of Israel, sophomore government and politics major Dan Granot always goes to Pita Plus when his parents come to visit, because they enjoy the Middle Eastern food.
“I’m from Israel, and it’s Middle Eastern food,” Granot said.
The local bars are another popular venue for parents on the weekend, though most students recommend going for lunch to avoid the rowdier late-night clientele.
Sophomore government and politics major Jesse Warren is planning on taking his parents to Thirsty Turtle.
“The first time we just went to some Chinese place on Route 1. We’ve gone to D.C.,” he said. “I would take them to eat inside Turtle, just to see what it is like during the day.”
But after taking his parents to R.J. Bentley’s one time, sophomore secondary education and history major Mike Wisniewski won’t be going there again.
“We went to R.J. Bentley’s once, but they got our order wrong, so that was kind of a bummer. I would take them to the Diner more than somewhere else,” he said.
Another place that has been a favorite of students and parents alike is the 94th Aero Squadron. Located across from the College Park Airport, the restaurant’s casual atmosphere and agreeable pricing enticed students who are looking for a good meal on their parents’ dime. The restaurant is now temporarily closed due to water damage.
jborowski@umdbk.com
