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Danny Meyer’s getting into the pizza game. The restaurant mogul (Union Square Cafe, Shake Shack) has teamed with his Maialino chef, Nick Anderer, for this rustic Roman pizzeria inside the Martha Washington Hotel. A self-proclaimed Rome fanatic, Anderer fell in love with the capital city’s thin, crackly crusted rounds, which he pulls from two wood-burning ovens and a nine-foot-long over-embers grill. “It’s so light that the pizza becomes part of the meal rather than the entire meal itself,” he says. “The dough is a blank canvas for seasonal flavors.” Along with the traditional pies (Margherita, Napoletana), the toque turns out outré renditions like an okra-and-lamb–sausage pie and one with pecorino, crumbled potato and crispy guanciale. The two-level restaurant, which features a mezzanine with bird’s-eye views of the main dining room below, is anchored by an open kitchen slinging more than just pizza: Expect rabbit meatballs, beer-brined chicken and butterflied trout saltimbocca presented on hand-painted ceramic dishes and custom-made butcher blocks. 29 E 29th St between Madison Ave and Park Ave South (212-651-3800, martamanhattan.com)
MENU
Small Plates
Fried pasta balls with tomato and pecorino, $9
Green risotto with mozzarella, $6
Summer squash, eggplant and pesto trappanese, $9
Rabbit meatballs with black olives and ricotta, $9
Eggplant parmesan with mozzarella and basil, $14
Gnocchi with butter, parmesan and lemon, $9
Pizzette bianche with olive oil, garlic and herb salt, $7
Salads
Marta Mista: Romaine, mushrooms, peppers, olives and artichokes, $12
Radicchio: Treviso, quinoa, Sicilian almonds, $12
Tonno Sott'olio: Cured tuna, arugula, cherry tomatoes, beans, $13
Scarola: Escarole, guanciale, gorgonzola, $14
Pizza
Marinara with oregano, olive oil and seal salt, $9
Margherita with mozzarella and basil, $12
Salsiccia with mozzarella, pork sausage and crimini mushrooms, $14
Mercato with ricotta, corn, okra and sweet peppers, $14
Capricciosa with mozzarella, artichokes, prosciutto, olives and egg, $15
Patate alla gricia with pecorino, potatoes, guanciale and black pepper, $15
Funghi with fontina, red onion, hen-of-the-woods mushroms and thyme, $15
Fiori de zucca with mozzarella, zucchini flowers and anchovy, $14
Pomodoro fresco with arugula salad, mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes, $16
Entrées
Braciole di maiale: Pork with tomato, pine nuts and pecorino, $23
Pollo ubriaco: Beer-brined half chicken, $21
Abbachhio al forno: Slow-roasted lamb with spicy salsa verde, $27
Costata di manzo: Beef short ribs with anchovy bernaise, $29
Trout saltimbocca with prosciutto, sage and charred lemon, $26
Salmerino: Artic char with fennel fronds and olive-tomato salad, $25
Procini arrosti with thyme, garlic and spigarello, $29
Trout saltimbocca at MartaPhotograph: Alice Gao
Marta Mista salad at MartaPhotograph: Alice Gao