Bun Boy Eats NYC – MARTA – LUNCH

MARTA – LUNCH – MIDTOWN EAST

April 24, 2015 5:42 am

MACELLAIO • 19
Pork Sausage, Guanciale, Sopressata, Mozzarella,
Grana Padano

I’m fairly new to NYC so I’m still getting to know local chefs and restaurant groups, but one guy I’m familiar with is Danny Meyer. I’ve been to two of his other restaurants, Union Square Café and Gramercy Tavern. Both are New York institutions. Only one of which I really enjoyed (hint: it wasn’t Gramercy Tavern).

But from the moment I saw a picture of a Marta pizza on Instagram, I was hooked. Or baked, since that makes more sense in the realm of pizza.

Either way, every minute I wasn’t shoving that pizza in my mouth hole was a wasted minute.

Seeing that I work only about 9 blocks away, I decided to sneak away for lunch. Having had made a reservation, of course. I’m not an idiot. The pretty and spacious dining room was definitely packed with hungry folks filing their face holes as well.

We started with the plate of prosciutto and the green risotto croquettes. I’m not a huge fan of prosciutto (unless it’s crispy) but the prosciutto I tried was tender and easy to chew (my biggest complaint) The price is high for an appetizer ($19) but if you’re flush with cash, go for this low carb option.

The risotto croquettes were NOT a low carb option but they were effing delicious! Packed with flavor. Sometimes risotto balls are on the bland side, but these were salty and cheesy.

Now, one of our party got the lamb/chicken/sausage platter with rapini (snobby broccoli), which made for a very tasty looking Atkins platter. I didn’t try it. I was all about the carbs today.

We tried both the Carbonara and the Macellaio (meat lovers) pies and both were just fantastic!

Here’s my usual complaint with ultra thin crust pizzas. Usually they’re one of two situations: dry as a bone, communion cracker crust, or a soggy ass center with burnt ass edges.

Our pizzas today were served on miraculous crusts. Every bite was crispy, but still had that pizza texture (not like eating a matzo cracker covered in sauce) and I especially loved the outer edges. Crispy and hollow, no need to worry about getting pizza belly later on.

The toppings were also ample without being overwhelming. A lot of posh pizzerias give you three artisan sausage pebbles, a lone porcini wedge and maybe two burnt basil leaves. They also begrudgingly give you a splash of sauce in the center (causing the sogginess).

I want toppings in every bite and sauce brought as far out as possible! If I were to kidnap someone, these would be my demands.

The Carbonara was potato heavy (which I liked), something to note if you have some sort of potato aversion or think carb on carb is a religious abomination. Let me tell you, it was not too heavy. I had zero leftovers.

Located inside the luxe Martha Washington Hotel on the south edge of Midtown (basically North Union Square), Marta is the perfect spot for an upscale but relaxing pizzacentric meal. Probably best for lunch since you most likely work nearby. Yes you. Oh, you don’t? Whatever. Get a job, loser.

29 E 29th St
New York, NY 10016
b/t Madison Ave & S Park Ave in Midtown East, Flatiron
(212) 689-1900
martamanhattan.com

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN WITH AN iPHONE