Paolo Domeneghetti, a long-time hospitality investor, restaurateur, and the founder of Domaine Select Wine & Spirits, and Martino de Rosa, founder of La Filiale in Italy, have opened La Màrtola in Buena Vista.
The restaurant, located at 4702 NE Second Ave., draws inspiration from the Spanish, Italian, and French Rivieras. It opened on Monday, February 19.
"We are taking a different approach here than simply being trendy," Domeneghetti tells New Times. "We are putting forward the concept of light food and focusing on the quality of our ingredients, which here boils down to the basics. Excellent oil, salt, pepper, vegetables...and 75 percent of our menu will be done either by a beautiful pizza oven or wood-fired grill."
Pizza, fresh local fish, and farm-raised meats are front and center on the La Màrtola menu, with a Stefano Ferraro wood-fired pizza oven and custom Grillworks grill utilized to perfect the various morsels. Domeneghetti says that every dish prepared on the grill includes its own unique salt and oil combination, contingent on its acidity and fatness.
Additional menu highlights provided to New Times include a bluefin akami tuna tartare dazzled with Mediterranean gin, grapefruit, and orange; an orata crudo with Ciliegni tomatoes and Taggiasca olives; and traditional plates like a lobster salad and paleta Ibérica con chips (Ibérica ham with potato chips).
For libations, there will be a curated wine list divided into four categories: Champagne, Burgundy, Barolo, and rosé. A special "pocket list" will showcase bottlings from winemaker Friends of La Màrtola. In addition to classic signature drinks, count on a variety of herbal and aromatic spritzes on the cocktail front.
La Màrtola uses a flour blend for its pizzas that is sourced from Italy and is prepared in-house daily.
La Màrtola photo
According to Domeneghetti, the dough La Màrtola uses for its pizzas is a game changer in Miami's local pizza scene. The restaurant only uses a flour blend sourced from Italy and prepared in-house daily. "We have the lightest pizza in terms of dough," he explains. It's a 36-hour dough that we've worked on with one of the most well-known pizza chefs in Italy."
Additionally, the restaurant even sources its specialty buffalo, ricotta, and even special algae from the Adriatic ocean for its pizza creations.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is just as light and authentically European. Domeneghetti says the space, which includes a large outdoor terrace for al fresco dining year-round, will initially include 60 seats, with the goal of seating up to 140 guests in the coming weeks and months. The terrace is inspired by the charm of coastal towns in Europe, with a central garden comprised of olive trees, Italian lemon trees, olive trees, and other Italian and European delights.
"For me, this space will be like having people home," says Domeneghetti. "I want people to feel comfortable coming and coming back."
La Màrtola. 4702 NE Second Ave., Miami; lamartolarestaurant.com. Opening Monday, February 19. Daily noon to 10:30 p.m.
