The first official closure in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to make way for the future Monsters Inc. Land took place on May 10, as Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano served its last meal. We visited to take one last look at the restaurant on its closing night.
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano first opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on September 26, 1991, though the park was still called Disney-MGM Studios at the time. It was located in the back corner of Grand Avenue, past the building for MuppetVision 3D.
The Walt Disney World website included a bit of the backstory for the restaurant, which was said to have been a converted backlot warehouse:
Once upon a time, a young girl from a small Sicilian village moved to Hollywood to become a star. However, she soon found that cooking was her true calling as she re-created her papa’s secret recipes for her starving actor friends.
At their urging, she opened a restaurant in a vacant backlot warehouse once used to store film equipment. Mama’s culinary talents soon attracted the patronage of film industry insiders, who dubbed her Mama Melrose, after the lively Los Angeles thoroughfare. Her establishment became known as the place “where Italy meets California in the heart of the Backlot,” and the rest, as they say, is history.
The exterior of the restaurant was designed to look like a Hollywood city building, so it is comprised of a three-story outer facade. The bottom floor is the restaurant, while the facades on the upper floors were supposed to look like other businesses and apartments.
Around the right corner of the restaurant, one of the tan buildings had a painted mural advertising Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano with the tagline “where Italy meets California in the heart of the Backlot!”
The mural shows the Mona Lisa painted in front of the Hollywood sign while wearing a visitor’s button and sunglasses. The ornate gold frame of the painting is patterned with palm trees, and several Italian dishes are piled below the painting.
Guests would check in to dine at Mama Melrose’s via a black kiosk placed outside the double doors. The kiosk was covered by a yellow and red striped umbrella that matched the color of the awning over the door.
The street in this corner was decorated with pennants in green, white, and red to represent the Italian flag. The storefronts on the second and third levels of the facade had fake advertisements, similar to the ones on Main Street in Magic Kingdom. The window right above the entrance advertised a magic shop.
Another window around the corner was called Geiger’s Rare Books. This is likely a reference to the 1946 film “The Big Sleep,” in which Philip Marlowe, portrayed by Humphrey Bogart, investigates a man named Arthur Gwynn Geiger. As part of the film’s plot, Geiger is said to own a rare book store.
To the left of the restaurant’s main entrance is a green case displaying the full menu and hours for Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. At the time it closed, the same menu was served for lunch and dinner.
Moving inside the restaurant, guests would enter a waiting room space with a second check-in counter. This room was tan with white and black stone decor.
Guests waiting to be seated could relax on one of the eclectic benches by the windows.
The door leading to the dining room was a brick arch with paint chipping around the edges.
Behind the check-in counter, the walls were covered with the first of many Hollywood-themed props, posters, and celebrity pictures.
More celebrity pictures lined the columns on either side of the curved windows.
Between the benches in the seating area was a gold and white bust of a Roman-style man wearing armor.
The black and white pictures in this space depict famous actors and actresses, many of whom were icons in the 1940s and 1950s. Some of these pictures were indeed of celebrities who actually dined at Mama Melrose’s when they visited the park as part of the old “Star of the Day” program in the 1990s.
Across from the pictures, this wall also has some retro-styled postcards for locations like Long Beach, New China Town, and other Hollywood hotspots.
Looking closer at some of the pictures, celebrities such as David Cassidy, Greg Evigan, and Sara Gilbert are included in the many images.
Alaina Reed Hall was an American actress known for portraying Olivia Robinson, Gordon’s younger sister, on “Sesame Street.”
James M. Doohan, perhaps most famous as Scotty in “Star Trek,” is one of the celebrities who participated in “Star of the Day” and was seen at Mama Melrose’s to interact with fans during his visit.
Some other celebrities known to have dined at Mama Melrose’s include original Mouseketeer Annette Funicello and Deidre Hall, best known for her role in “Days of Our Lives.”
Located just below the exit sign is a black and pink star modeled like those on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Mama Melrose as the recipient.
A small statue placed on the side of the benches depicted two cherubs holding grapes. A black and white dog sat at their feet.
Upon entering the dining room, guests first passed the open kitchen and bar area.
Upon entering, the columns are decorated with the first of many retro photographs taken at Walt Disney World.
The kitchen ran along the left side of the dining room and was designed with a somewhat industrial aesthetic.
The light fixtures by the kitchen were round bulbs decorated with ladles, spoons, and other utensils.
This hallway was always crowded as the waiters and chefs delivered food.
On this same column, a red poster included the brand name of Martini & Rossi, an Italian beverage company known for sparkling wines.
Most of the columns had a set of three or more pictures on every side.
Many of these pictures include examples of the “Star of the Day” attendees interacting with Mickey and Minnie in the parks.
The pictures include more modern images taken with a color camera and more retro pictures in black and white.
The photo on the top right of this column includes actor John Astin, who was perhaps best known for his role as Gomez Addams in the original “Addams Family” series.
The picture at the bottom of this column shows American singer and actress Jane Powell riding in the back seat of a car with Mickey next to the driver.
The brick walls are covered in a mixture of Italian posters, Hollywood signage, and what are supposed to be old movie props.
The picture at the top of this column is of Robert Klein, a stand-up comedian who hosted the first season of “Saturday Night Live.”
In one of the dining room areas, guests could sit on a long, red padded bench or in chairs that sat around the rectangular table. Above the bench were open windows with curtains to help block the view from one guest table to another.
On the column to the right of the table, was a poster for a musical arrangement by John W Schaum titled “Neapolitan Serenade.” The poster fittingly features a man on a gondola. More Hollywood photos are below.
Another column featured a poster of a coffee bar called “Caffe Espresso” with “Servizio Instantaneo.”
Additional framed pieces and shelving could be found on another section of the brink walls. Upon the shelves were red checkered napkins along with tins, mugs, and other trinkets.
This wall featured a large section of vines just above a sign for “Vine Street.” A map of Italy was hung next to a set of lamps and a banner for a Dodgers vs. Yankees 1970 World Series game.
A cover from “Modern Screen” was hung on a column. “Modern Screen” was an American fan magazine that ran between 1930 and 1985.
A tribute to Roy Rogers could also be found. Rogers was known as the King of the Cowboys and was a singer, actor, television host, and rodeo performer.
Several covers of the “Movie Mirror” were on display.
This framed art for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” references the film from 1930.
This framed page is an old lyrics sheet for music written in Italian.
Appropriate for a restaurant specializing in pasta, this poster for Spaghetti & Co. listed the names and shapes of various pasta types.
Many of the light fixtures in Mama Melrose’s were not identical. Instead, the restaurant had a combination of many light styles, ranging from ornate lamps to this single bulb hanging from a silver pendant.
On the right side of the building, curved windows overlooked the building’s exterior and check-in kiosk. The windows were decorated with multicolored Christmas lights. Records and fish plates were among the decorations near this window.
Shelves displaying props had fake grapes, wine bottles, and unique plates.
This poster was another old advertisement for an Italian brand of wine.
This yellow poster included some of the original art for “Casablanca” with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
This poster above the lights advertised “Gone with the Wind” in Italian.
On this wall, a poster for “Luci Della Citta” (City Lights) starring Charlie Chaplin was hung.
Another dining room had red-cushioned booths and square tables with wooden chairs.
There was no shortage of greenery and lights hanging from the ceiling in each room.
More records and written music hung above on booth.
This record was that of Benny Goodman, an American Jazz musician known as the “King of Swing.”
Next to the record sleeve is a poster for “Cirio” tomato extract.
A poster for a work by Italian composer Richard Barthelemy was hung on this column.
Surrounded by green, red, and silver garland was another Italian piece of written music.
In the picture to the left is Rob Stone, best known for his role in the 1985-1990 sitcom, “Mr. Belvedere.” In the photo to the right, Mickey is helping stars with their handprints.
Some of the windows had records and record sleeves displayed.
At this booth, “I Love LA” and Los Angeles Rams vanity plates were displayed near a Rodeo Drive street sign.
More vinyl and a record sleeve for “Berlin by Lombardo” were hung near the Rodeo Drive sign.
Behind another unique light fixture were two records, plates, and a sun made from pizza.
On this shelf, several trinkets, including an Italian-inspired gondola lamp, a hat, a jar of baubles, and vase, were displayed.
Just above that shelf was a poster for a western starring Clint Eastwood.
Another Clint Eastwood film poster was hung next to the other.
Jerry Vale’s “The Italian Album” was also displayed.
Banners for USC (University of Southern California) and the city of Hollywood are hung above a large section of vines.
Moving down, a different light fixture hangs above a table. This one was spherical with a cage-like structure around it.
Behind the lamp were several more photos.
A framed “Madama Butterfly” opera poster was hung on the wall in a red frame. Next to it were some glass plates. The two round plates were painted with grapes and leaves, while the rectangular-shaped plate was painted with oranges and flowers.
A look at the full wall above this particular booth shows just how much theming was present inside the restaurant.
A Joan Sutherland record sleeve and three records hung near another Los Angeles Rams banner.
Another of the varying light fixtures hung above this booth. This one was domed and made of stained glass.
Four photos of Italy were framed just behind the lamp.
A framed replica of the “Mona Lisa” was hung, surrounded by lights.
Another framed piece with a strand of Italian flags surrounding it was hung above this booth alongside another record.
Above the next booth were several more tributes and shelving with plastic grapes, greenery, and kitchenware.
More Hollywood star photos with Mickey were hung here.
Postcards and records from Vic Damone and Tony Bennett were among the items displayed on this wall.
Nestled in greenery was another Stars on Parade photo.
Moving right along, a fish mounted on the wall was wearing a scarf, surrounded by photos.
One of the photos was of Dorothy Lamour, who was an American actress and singer.
In addition to several photos with Mickey Mouse, other characters such as Roger Rabbit are shown in these photos. A poster of “Tom and Jerry” was also hung on this paneled wall.
On the adjacent wall, there is a Marc Antony brand ad and a photo of a narrowboat. The window display had vines streaming down the sides. On the ledge was a bowl of plastic grapes and a basket full of various breads. Also strung in front of the window was some drying pasta.
Moving down, another fish was hanging on the wall. This one, however, wore yellow sunglasses. Below the fish was a grouping of albums and other decor.
This particular shelf has many trinkets, vases, tins of Olive Oil, and greenery with plastic grapes.
Above the shelf are several banners and a poster for “La Valle Dell’Eden” starring James Dean.
Faux loaves of bread could also be found sitting around the restaurant.
As noted before, the light fixtures in Mama Melrose’s were varied in shape, size, and style. This particular fixture resembles a bouquet of daisies.
At a corner table in the restaurant, there were several more pieces of wall decor along with a wine storage shelving unit.
The wine shelf had many bottles with yellow lids. Next to it was a vintage Isotta Fraschini luxury car poster.
Below the poster was a Bobby Darin album with listed tunes on the cover. The record is half out of the sleeve.
To the other side was another album, two postcards, and a Stars on Parade photo.
On the wall above the booth-style seat are three more photos.
An “Amadeus” film poster was also posted in the restaurant. The film was released in 1984 and was about a rivalry between two 18th-century Italian composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.
An Italian version of a “Blade Runner” film poster was on display on this wall.
Next to the illuminated “Mona Lisa” was a cut-out with lattice and vines. In front of the greenery was a statue of a guitarist dressed in Italian-style clothing.
Moving into the next area, there was a large laminated “Pales Baroni” vintage pasta advertisement alongside other albums and postcards.
Above this booth bench was a set of eight photos with Mickey and various stars visiting the park.
More pasta was hung from the ceiling in the room “to dry.”
A Carmen Miranda Paint Book framed in shiny green garland was also hung in the area.
Moving to the Sunset Boulevard wall, there was a blue street sign, lamp, and other wall decor.
Above and to the right of the Sunset Blvd. sign was another shelf with a teapot, tins, and greenery. The shelf was lined with Italian flags.
Another nearby shelf was lined with more tins, plastic grapes, and trinkets.
More banners featuring teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, and Indianapolis Colts were scattered about on this wall, along with two Rose Bowl banners. Another vintage car poster was also hung here.
The last set of Mickey and Stars on Parade could be found on this wall column.
Another shelf featured even more tins, jars, and hanging fish.
One more shelf with tins and a mini barrel could be found near the corner of the room.
In the corner was a coat rack with some staged coats and hats. A painted plate was also hung just under the shelf.
Another Sunset Blvd. sign was hung just above another fish. This poor guy did not have a scarf or sunglasses.
Just under this record was a grouping of brightly colored fruits.
Another set of postcards could be found surrounding this record.
Two more albums by The Di Mara Sisters and Ferruccio Tagliavini were posted to this section of the wall.
Additional portraits and advertisements could be found at various locations around the restaurant.
Along with the portraits, advertisements, and other wall hangings was this fish mold.
The last of the wall decorations we photographed included a vintage food scale with plastic grapes and a last record.
We also took a quick photo of the beverage menu, which informs guests of the “handcrafted” nature of the drinks that were served at Mama Melrose’s.
The restaurant served a variety of specialty drinks, wines, and beers.
Last year, Mama Mama Melrose’s brought in a new head chef who made many menu changes; you can check out our review of those changes.
Also, check out our full tour on the last day of restaurant operations:
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano is the first official closure in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to make way for the future land themed to Monsters Inc. Both MuppetVision 3D and PizzeRizzo will also be closing soon, with the last day of operation for both locations set for June 7. The Muppets will eventually be taking over the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, though a last day of operation for the attraction in its current form has not been announced yet.
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