Joe Mamas brings Sunday brunch to Oakland

Joe Mamas Italian Deluxe built a reputation on quality Italian food served on a college… Joe Mamas Italian Deluxe built a reputation on quality Italian food served on a college student’s schedule — late at night, with parts of the menu going half-priced after 11 p.m.

Going to the restaurant for Sunday morning brunch seemed initially counterintuitive, but it is completely worth getting up for.

At the corner of South Bouquet Street and Forbes Avenue, the restaurant is hard to miss with its flashy neon clock advising that it’s always “Time for Fine Eats.”

The retro style extends to the indoor decor as well. I personally am not terribly fond of kitschy, memorabilia-covered walls and ’80s soundtrack background music, but they do create an indisputably comfortable family atmosphere.

We arrived promptly at 11 a.m. (the buffet brunch is available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) to find that we had the restaurant nearly to ourselves, though it filled up substantially by the time we left. The self-serve buffet was stretched along the restaurant’s back wall and curved around the corner to accommodate its many offerings.

The breakfast portion of the buffet featured classed-up versions of traditional breakfast fare, from eggs sprinkled with colorful peppers to apple-smoked bacon and parmesan-herb crusted potatoes, putting Market Central’s floppy morning options to shame.

Most delightful was the gently-singed French toast with strawberry-blueberry sauce, maple syrup, and whipped cream. Piling on all those toppings would make just about anything edible, but the French toast was more than chewy and delicious enough to hold its own against the barrage of additions.

Wary of the delectably flakey 800-calorie croissants, I avoided the baked goods table. However, after hearing a fellow diner rave about the apple turnovers, I feel secure in the assumption that the selection of muffins and scones likely were as well.

I was unable to resist an adorably tiny teacup of tiramisu gently sprinkled with cinnamon and chocolate shavings. What initially seemed to be a meager portion turned out to be ideal, once I encountered just how extravagantly rich the creamy classic Italian dessert was.

The lunch section consisted of the Italian food Joe Mamas is best known for and was predictably good. The chicken and cheese ravioli was served with a tomato vodka sauce which my brunch companion described as “singing in [her] mouth.” Classic Caesar salad with giant croutons, antipasto and skewers of grilled vegetables and mozzarella cheese were also available.

The garlic bread constituted the only real low point of the meal by being somewhat stale and lacking the right quantities of butter and garlic. The offerings were rounded out with fresh fruit salad — somewhat heavy on the strawberries, but who doesn’t like a good strawberry? — and a tantalizing make-your-own parfait bar including yogurt, cottage cheese, granola and several types of nuts and dried fruits.

Friendly servers were quick to offer extra condiments and let us know as additional dishes came out of the kitchen. Joe Mamas conveniently accepts Panther Funds as well as cash and credit cards.

Joe Mamas has long been touted as THE place to take your parents (or, rather, make them take you) in Oakland. After sampling its Sunday brunch, which is reasonably priced at a student rate of $10, I’d have to say it’s worth considering treating yourself on occasion.