Marta

www.martamanhattan.com
29 East 29th St. (between Park Avenue South and Madison Ave.)
212-651-3800

Italian.  If pizza on a Saturday night doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time, chances are you haven’t been to Marta.

They’ve turned it into an art form, with variations spanning the spectrum from margherita to black truffle to brussels sprouts.  I went full on carnivore with The Butcher (soppressata, guanciale, pork sausage, mozzarella, grana padano).  A truly impressive meat tribute, magically weightless atop the crunchy, wafer-thin crust.

But if you’re in the mood for more, all their apps beckon.  I sampled the suppli ai salumi, an inventive risotto croquetta, each bite bursting with tomato, pecorino and mozzarella.  And I can’t rave enough about the garlic “nots”, the bag filled with an irresistible alchemy of pecorino, Calabrian oregano and black pepper.  Closing the deal, a side of marinara for dipping, like nothing I’ve ever tasted.  So incredible, I contemplated an IV.

Marta also pays homage to the calzone – in the form of Il Classico.  Their ricotta, mozzarella, grana padano and marinara incarnation rivaling that of the city’s San Gennaro Feast.

If you’ve still got room for dessert, the offerings include some impressive o’s – affogato, sorbetto, gelato.  Not to mention a dark chocolate torta.  I went all in on a lemon olive oil cake with limoncello zabaglione.  The lemony liqueur confection an ideal complement to this substantial yet light as air pastry.

It’s hard to imagine you can go wrong within these walls.  Where the warm and friendly staff could not be more welcoming.  Just add the electric atmosphere and you’ve got a recipe that’s Not. To. Be. Missed.