I went there with a group of my extended family for a Sunday lunch following my nephew's baptism. The atmosphere was decent enough, and the service was acceptable for the size of our party (16+ people), but that is roughly where the positive items end.
I ordered Fried Calamari for an appetizer with some of my family, and Whole Wheat (Shrimp) Scampi for my main course. I was the only one in my family who ordered the Whole Wheat (Shrimp) Scampi. The Fried Calamari seemed pretty good, but I had never eaten it before, so I didn't really have a basis for comparison. The Whole Wheat Scampi was frankly quite terrible. It was one of the least appetizing meals that I have eaten in a long time, and I have eaten at many places; although if I had ordered a different dish it may have tasted better, as my family member’s dishes looked appetizing.
Here's the major problem: About two hours after I had finished eating I began to feel very nauseous. After a few minutes of nausea, I vomited numerous times and noticed a slight rash underneath my eyes. Since I had never eaten Calamari before, I feared that it might be caused by an allergic reaction, and I promptly went to the hospital Emergency Room at the Northeast Medical Center in Concord, NC. They informed me that the rash underneath my eyes was likely caused by ruptured blood vessels brought on by the heavy strain the intense vomiting had placed on my body. They also said that given the symptoms, it was not an allergic reaction, but rather FOOD POISONING. They gave me some medicine and I went home shortly after. I am also writing this review still feeling some of the negative effects of FOOD POISONING. Needless to say I will never be visiting Mama Ricotta's again.
I should note that before lunch at Mama Ricotta’s I had eaten a jelly biscuit at home, a small amount of candy, and a small cup of coffee with some dairy creamer that was provided at the church where I attended my nephew’s baptism. I did not eat anything between my meal at Mama Ricotta’s and the time of the FOOD POISONING. I suppose it is possible that dairy creamer from the church could have made me sick; but given the time table and the severity of the condition, as well as the fact that I was the only one in my family who ate the Whole Wheat (Shrimp) Scampi, I believe it is reasonable to assume that the Whole Wheat (Shrimp) Scampi at Mama Ricotta’s was to blame. It is also worth noting that I have never had FOOD POISONING before.
I do not know if being in a larger party had anything to do with my dish being improperly cooked, but I know that I was one of the last people to receive their order. I do feel as though they may have rushed the order, and that it may have been undercooked as a result. To my knowledge none of my other family members took ill, but as I said before, I was the only one who ordered the Whole Wheat (Shrimp) Scampi. I will be posting this review as is on other websites, as I feel it is an important issue to note. As I said before I will never again be eating at Mama Ricotta's due to the FOOD POISONING following my lunch there. For what it’s worth I didn’t make the decision to eat there to begin with. I hope that this review has helped someone avoid a similar fate. Thank you for your time.
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