MIAReview
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Macchialina
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Simple is good. Simple is refreshing. Simple is necessary in this day and age when cars now speak English and an app can show you what your pet would look like as a 46-year-old man.
And one big reason why we love eating at Macchialina is that it’s simple, in the best sense of the word. We know what to expect when we come here: Italian dishes (mostly pasta) that feel like a final draft, edited to near perfection without so much as one superfluous fragment of parmesan on the plate. In fact, we could probably write this review like one of those six-word short-story challenges: Lovely restaurant. Incredible pasta. Get dessert.
Macchialina's dining room.photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Macchialina's outdoor seating.photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Bar seating.photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
But of course, there are other things to know about Macchialina before you go. It’s a small, dark Italian spot on Alton Road that’s just about always packed, so a reservation is a good idea. It’s a restaurant great for both an intimate date or a fun group dinner involving lots of wine.
The menu has about six kinds of pasta (plus daily specials) that are all winners. The spaghetti pomodoro should speak at school assemblies so other spaghetti pomodoros can see what kind of perfectly al dente pasta they should be when they grow up. The short rib lasagna is one of the very best in Miami. And the protein entrees are definitely not an afterthought either, which is obvious after the first bite of the huge veal parm or the juicy roast chicken.
Really, nothing at Macchialina is an afterthought—from the always-outstanding service to the bread pudding that never fails to make us want to fight a loved one over the last bite. But also, nothing at Macchialina feels overanalyzed or trying too hard to impress. It’s a place that seems to have figured out what a lot of restaurants in Miami—and especially in South Beach—struggle to understand: that sometimes being an excellent restaurant is enough. It’s just that simple.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Gnocco Fritto
Creamy Polenta
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Lasagna
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings