Austin has seen a serious uptick in Italian restaurants lately, but few have mastered the Italian sandwich game. Enter La Matta, a new sandwich, salad and wine shop set to open at the corner of 5th Street and Comal on December 4.
“My goal with La Matta is to bring authentic Italian sandwiches to Austin,” says executive chef Erind Halilaj says. “Authentic meaning there is no interpretation—this is what you would eat in Italy, presented in exactly the same way.” To that end, there will be Italian paninis, salumi boards, mozzarella plates and salads, along with a selection of wine and beer on tap. The shop wants to take the Italian feel one step further, offering a big screen for soccer viewing (the World Cup starts on June 14—mark your calendars) and patio seating for afternoon lounging. Take-away and catering services will be offered as well.
La Matta (named for the Joker in Sicilian playing cards) is the counterpart to New Waterloo's Il Brutto, an Italian restaurant slated to open in 2018; Halilaj, who was raised in Italy, will also serve as the chef there. The sandwich shop will be open from 11am to 9pm daily.
La Matta is located at 501 Comal Street inside The Arnold, a mixed use space that includes apartments and office spaces.