Mami's Restaurant, a tribute to a mother and a homeland

Judging by a brisk first week of business, Mami’s Restaurant won’t be moving anytime soon.

“I built this in honor to my mother,” Sosa said.

Sosa was born in the Dominican Republic, and has lived in Laconia for 13 years. He first worked at Wendy’s, then helped children with autism. He has built his life here, and his family includes his wife, Stephanie, and their two boys.

When it comes time to eat, though, he turns first to the flavors of his native island. Prior to the opening of Mami’s, that meant either making the dishes at home, or driving to Manchester to find authentic Caribbean food.

“It was my dream to open a restaurant for a long, long time,” Sosa said. He and his mother, Griska Perez, had cooked at a multicultural festival in Laconia, with great responses. Last summer, Perez started a successful, informal business by making juices and empanadas at home and selling to her friends. Sosa saw the time was right for him and his mother to offer their version of soul food to the general public.

“I said, you know what, let’s do it for you. And the community doesn’t have [anything] like this,” Sosa said. So he began making a business plan and preparing the storefront for Mami’s Restaurant. Then came the heartbreak. His mother passed away four months ago, before she could see the restaurant open. So, instead of being a partnership with her, the business opened as a tribute.

“She was the best,” Sosa said.

Though his mother can’t be there except in spirit, there are plenty of Perez’s family members helping to honor her through food. The kitchen is staffed by many of Pedro’s aunts and cousins, and his sons, Manny and Peyton, help take orders.

It didn’t take long for customers to find Mami’s. When the doors first opened at 11 a.m. last Friday, there were already customers waiting to try the only authentic Caribbean food within an hour’s drive.

“When you try Caribbean food, it’s an explosion of flavors,” Sosa said.

Some of that comes from ingredient combinations that are unusual in New England. Sancocho, for example, is a soup with a carrot, squash and plantain base, in which are simmered various cuts of meats. Sosa said it’s best eaten with a squeeze of lime, some avocado chunks and, if so desired, a sprinkle of hot sauce.

Another standout is oxtails. The dish is thin cross sections of oxtail, including the bone, which adds richness to a mild chile broth.

Mami’s opens daily at 11 a.m., and will stay open through dinnertime, and beyond, as long as the customers keep coming. Delivery service will be added soon. Sosa said he will experiment with staying open past midnight, especially on weekend nights, to see if there is demand.

“To me, everything is a try-out. There is nothing open after 11 o’clock, unless you go to The Weirs or Domino’s,” he said.