‘Warmth of our childhood kitchens’: New Italian spot in Doral favors tradition
If you ever wandered into the MIA Market food hall in the Design District a few years ago, you may remember a counter in the corner that served homemade pasta, including a cacio e pepe that didn’t need the now-requisite truffles to be delicious.
Run by the husband-and-wife chef team Massimo and Elisabetta Tundo, the restaurant was called Dal Plin, and it offered some of the most memorable pasta in Miami. Now, the Tundos have opened a standalone restaurant in Doral, one that will focus on that same homemade pasta — as well as pizza and more.
Altamura Trattoria is built on the traditions of Italian cooking and hospitality, says Elisabetta Tundo, who, like her husband, is originally from Milan. Both learned to cook in their grandmothers’ kitchens and hope to pay tribute to the lessons they learned there.
“In Italian, we have a saying: ‘To move forward, sometimes we need to step back and take a look at our past.’ This wisdom is part of who we are, and it’s what inspires us,” she said. “At Altamura Trattoria, we bring the warmth of our childhood kitchens to life, kitchens where food was prepared with patience, respect for tradition and the love of generations before us.”
Each meal kicks off at Altamura Trattoria with l’oro di Pisa, a flatbread made of chickpea flour with artichokes, black pepper, marjoram and ricotta mousse.
From there, entrees focus on but are not limited to pasta. You’ll find grilled polenta with scampi crudo carpaccio in garlic sauce; ricotta gnocchi caramelized with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, gorgonzola, parmigiano and shaved pears; tortellini al Forno with prosciutto di parma, parmigiano sauce and a fig glaze. There’s also spaghetti chitarra (a square-shaped pasta made with an implement that looks like a guitar) with San Marzano sauce, candied tomato and stracciatella as well as braised beef roulade stuffed with pecorino, garlic, pine nuts and parsley.
Pizzas on the menu include red sauce pizzas (like the Parma-Giana with fried eggplant, mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, parmigiano and basil) and white pizzas (like the Montanara with porcini mushrooms, Italian sausage, fontina cheese and spinach).
The restaurant, which seats 200 diners, is designed to evoke a homey atmosphere, with a garden patio that offers additional seating and a pizza oven in one corner that sends the aromas of baking bread and pizza throughout the room, adding to the ambience.
Massimo Tundo said that it’s important that the restaurant reflect the traditions of his home.
“We want every guest to feel like they’ve been welcomed into our home and are gathered around the table to share a meal that is simple and full of joy,” he said. “As we say in Italy: ‘E pronto, tutti a tavola!’ – ‘Food is ready, everybody at the table!’ That spirit of togetherness and hospitality is at the center of everything we do.”
Altamura Trattoria
Where: 7835 NW 107th Ave., Doral
Hours: 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday
More information and reservations: www.altamuratrattoria.com or 786-900-2582
