Roman Empire

With their captive audiences, hotel restaurants don’t always have to try very hard, but Marta, in the trendy Redbury New York, punches well above its weight. An homage to the warm, welcoming eateries of Rome, this vibrant spot brings serious Italian hospitality to 29th and Madison, where executive chef Lena Ciardullo prepares pizzas with unapologetically upscale toppings.

“The pizza we serve at Marta is meant to be an elevated interpretation of the pies one can find on the streets of Rome,” she says. “We use a combination of old school Roman techniques, a matterello (wooden rolling pin), wood-fired ovens and local ingredients.”

Don’t come here expecting Chicago-style crust. The pies at Marta have a “very thin cracker crust,” Ciardullo explains, perfect for adding a crunch to the market-fresh toppings on offer.

"There's an emphasis on ingredients, such as our use of market vegetables at their prime."

Asked for one pie that’s emblematic of the restaurant, she offered the Stracciatella.

“It’s both refined and hedonistic at the same time,” she says. “Luscious creamy cheese, made in-house, delicately applied to the pizza married with high-quality olive oil makes for the perfect pizza experience.”

Marta features thin, crackly crusted pizzas and endlessly creative toppings, including dry-cured Italian meats – coppa, soppressata, guanciale - and spicy salume ‘nduja.