I signed up for a yelp account specifically to write a review for Mama Catena because it was that good and because I've searched for 3 years to find good italian food near Cleveland. How good? It was better than the tasting menu at Babbo in NYC, Mario Batali's restaurant.
This is as good as Italian food gets, outside of someone's actual home in Italy. The owners and cooks are first generation Sicilians and cook with the same recipes and attention to detail that they do at home. In addition to their soul-warming food, they also have the warmth in welcoming you that makes you feel like you're getting a home-cooked meal.
My fiance ordered the linguine in baby clams sauce, and I had the spaghettini in meat sauce with meatballs. Hers was so amazing that it almost made me regret my own choice, even though mine was already one of the best meat sauces I've had in years. The briny savoriness of the seafood was incredible. Both our portions were also very generous for the price.
I don't usually write reviews because honestly, very few places are memorable enough that I feel it is worth my time to write a review. Mama Catena was one of the top 10 meals in my life, and we will definitely be back for more.