Billion dollar restaurateur Danny Meyer has already mastered the burger and made an indelible mark on dining in New York City. Now he's taking on another iconic NYC staple with Marta, a new pizza restaurant opening inside the Martha Washington Hotel on East 29th Street. Located off the hotel's lobby, Marta will serve meals all day to hotel guests and Meyer-enthusiasts, including accommodating later night pizza seekers until 11:30 p.m. The restaurant opens tonight at 6 p.m. for dinner service.
Helming the pizza oven is Maialino chef Nick Anderer, who will be simultaneously running both restaurants with managing partner Terry Coughlin. Out of the kitchen, red and white thin-crust pies in the style of Roman pizzerias but with some distinctly American flair, especially in the toppings. Think corn, okra and sweet peppers with ricotta in the Mercato ($14), one of the restaurant's red-sauced pies. Then there's the super Italian Patate Alla Gricia ($15), a white pie topped with pecorino, potatoes, guanciale (cured pork cheek) and black pepper. If you've never tried potato on pizza (it's really good!), this should be an excellent introduction.
Other dishes come prepared "alle brace," cooked on a grill over open wood embers. Abbacchio al Forno ($27), slow-roasted lamb, comes with a spicy salsa verde; Costata di Manzo ($29), beef short ribs, come with an anchovy butter sauce; and Porcini Arrosti ($29) sees mushrooms roasted with thyme, garlic and a broccoli-esque leafy green called spigarello.
29 East 29th Street, website
