Fresh Pasta For Sale from Missy Robbins at a New Shop
Missy Robbins’ is teasing the opening of a brick-and-mortar pasta shop, an extension of the online Misipasta brand that she and her partner Sean Feeney started in 2019. Eater broke the news earlier this week, and the Misipasta Instagram account has included artsy black-and-white photos of the space, coming to 46 Grand St. in Brooklyn, and slated to open this month.
The Misipasta online shop currently offers a range of sauces and fresh pastas available for New York City delivery, pick-up in Brooklyn, or nationwide shipping. Details on the new shop are scant, but one of the photos features “aperitivo” on the façade, so perhaps it’s more than just a pasta shop? We shall see.
Danny Meyer Standouts Maialino and Marta Will Close
News broke late last week that Maialino and Marta will close on Friday, August 25. Marta has long been a reliable and somewhat under-the-radar casual spot for excellent pizza, seasonal salads, an incredible selection of Italian wines, and more. Maialino, which was already displaced when the Gramercy Hotel shut down, had recently moved into two spaces in the same building as Marta, the Redbury Hotel, which is now going to house asylum seekers as New York City struggles to house incoming migrants.
Appetito reached out to Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, and a rep sent us the following statement:
"We are disappointed to announce that Marta and Maialino (vicino) will be ceasing operations at The Redbury. Our last night of service will be Friday, August 25.
As tenants of The Redbury, our two restaurants, which occupy the lobby floor, have been eagerly anticipating the hotel’s full post-pandemic reopening. Now, as The Redbury partners with The City to house asylum seekers, it’s become clear that the timeline for that reopening has been extended indefinitely. While we admire and respect The Redbury’s decision, the viability of our business relies significantly on hotel-related F&B operations, including event venues and the lobby bar, spaces that are now unavailable for our use.
We remain fully supportive of The Redbury’s initiative and will continue advocating for policy change that expedites work permits for asylum seekers.
USHG is committed to finding job placements for all employees affected by the closures and will actively seek to find new homes for each of our restaurants.
We feel privileged for the nine years we’ve been serving guests at Marta and more recently, Maialino (vicino), and are beyond grateful for the legions of team members and guests who have brought so much spirited life and memories to both of these spaces."
I personally had memorable experiences at both restaurants and hope they find a new home soon. Here's an example of the clever and unexpected seasonal dishes you'd find at Marta:
Smith St. Wanderings and other news
Appetito was sad to hear that HiHi Room, from the Court St. Grocers team, will shut down September 3 after four years in business in Cobble Hill. While not an Italian restaurant, one of the dishes that survived HiHi’s run was its Cincinnati chili, which I had writer Chris Shott cover for the website La Cucina Italiana a few years back. >>> In happier news, a few doors down from the space that HiHi is vacating, I spotted a new pizza joint, La Rose Pizza, which opened this week at 150 Smith St. The chef, Andrew Halitski, who started making Detroit-style pies during the pandemic, has opened his brick-and-mortar location with a menu of nine different pies, each priced at $36-$38 and featuring delicious-sounding toppings. Example: The “Tom Green,” a cheese blend with cremini mushrooms, caramelized onions, smoked mozzarella, ricotta, pesto, black pepper, lemon zest, and pecorino. >>> Last but not least, we were happy to hear that Andrew Carmellini has announced another new Manhattan restaurant. He and his team will open Cafe Carmellini, promising French and Italian dishes at the new Fifth Avenue Hotel in NoMad. According to Eater, it will open in September.
