Macchialina
This 70-seat, rustic Italian neighborhood fave has garnered major accolades, from James Beard to Wine Spectator, thanks to chef/owner Michael Pirolo’s pasta precision and soulful Italian cooking, and his sister Jacqueline's sommelier savvy. The menu starts with appetizers like a local burrata with luscious heirloom tomatoes or a beef carpaccio with shaved mushrooms and celery. But pasta dishes are the highlight, including a tantalizing tagliolini with abalone mushrooms, and a gnocchi fra diavlo with lobster, Calabrese chili and basil. For gluten-free folks (or those with larger appetites), entrees such as veal Milanese or veal parm pack powerful punches, but it’s the pacific halibut with sunchokes, brown butter, delicata squash and trumpet mushrooms that’s truly magical. A four-course chef’s tasting menu at $70 per person with an option for wine pairing add on (do it—Jacqueline is an award-winning oenophile) for an additional $55—is the way to go here so you can try a sampling of what makes this place a go-to for locals and food tourists alike.
Note: As we go to press, plans to expand next door are underway, meaning even more seating (they’ll have an expansive outdoor patio).
This 70-seat, rustic Italian neighborhood fave has garnered major accolades, from James Beard to Wine Spectator, thanks to chef/owner Michael Pirolo’s pasta precision and soulful Italian cooking, and his sister Jacqueline's sommelier savvy. The menu starts with appetizers like a local burrata with luscious heirloom tomatoes or a beef carpaccio with shaved mushrooms and celery. But pasta dishes are the highlight, including a tantalizing tagliolini with abalone mushrooms, and a gnocchi fra diavlo with lobster, Calabrese chili and basil. For gluten-free folks (or those with larger appetites), entrees such as veal Milanese or veal parm pack powerful punches, but it’s the pacific halibut with sunchokes, brown butter, delicata squash and trumpet mushrooms that’s truly magical. A four-course chef’s tasting menu at $70 per person with an option for wine pairing add on (do it—Jacqueline is an award-winning oenophile) for an additional $55—is the way to go here so you can try a sampling of what makes this place a go-to for locals and food tourists alike.
Note: As we go to press, plans to expand next door are underway, meaning even more seating (they’ll have an expansive outdoor patio).
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