To quote Fellini’s motto, “Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” Such a match can be found at Macchialina, the dining destination in Miami you want to experience to get away from the Ocean Drive crowd. Nestled on a quieter southern stretch of Alton Road on South Beach that seems miles away from the 24/7 party that is Ocean Drive, the name Macchialina derives from the pastoral Italian words, “Macchia” meaning “mark or spot” and “Maialina,” meaning piglet. It was created to evoke a “small rustic eatery in the heart of a metropolis.” So says Queens-born, Avellino-raised chef/owner Michael Pirolo, a 2016 James Beard Award semi-finalist (“Best Chef: South).”
Macchialina's Magic Team: Chef Michael Pirolo, Jen Chaefsky, and Jacqueline Pirolo. Photo: Adam DelGiudice
Why the heart of South Beach’s residential west side community and not Ocean Drive or bustling Collins Avenue, closer to the ocean beaches? The answer is simple, “Because nobody in Miami was targeting the locals, but mostly the tourists,” explains chef Pirolo. “There were fancy restaurants in hotels but we really wanted to satisfy locals, where people live.” Pirolo doesn’t deny that it was difficult to get Macchialina off the ground when it opened nearly a decade ago, but the magic happened with help from a pasta promotion. “We launched a ‘Thursday $10 pasta,’' he says. “It was a hit. It drove so many people, they tried different pasta specialties and they fell in love with us.”
Before moving to Miami, Pirolo cooked at several renowned New York City restaurants, cooking at Chris Lee’s Gilt at the Palace Hotel in New York, and then joining Scarpetta. He relocated to Miami to take the helm as chef de cuisine of Scarpetta at Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
Broccolini al Cesare, a play on Ceasar salad, at Macchialina in South Beach. Photo: Liz Clayman
Macchialina, ranked among the top “South Florida Food 50” by The Miami Herald in 2015 and in 2018 selected as the best Italian restaurant in Florida by The Daily Meal, is above all a family affair. In fact, Pirolo opened the restaurant with life partner Jen Chaefsky and sister Jacqueline Pirolo, who is also the beverage director.
“Some may not even peg Macchialina as a premier destination for fine wine until they’ve seen the menu” says Jacqueline. “Our wine program prides itself on our selection of all-Italian wines sourced from estate-grown grapes and boutique growers, many hard to find.”
Macchialina is a neighborhood favorite on Alton Road in South Beach. Photo: Adam DelGiudice
While sitting in a cozy dining room rich with old-school, Italian-American décor elements, diners can start with a sampling of the house-made Porchetta atop a freshly fried gnocco fritto, or try an array of antipasti options including creamy polenta dotted with a custom “Macchialina Blend” sausage ragu. The Broccolini al Cesare with toasted garlic and Parmigiano can serve as the perfect prelude to one of Pirolo’s exquisite pasta dishes, such as Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, Agnolotti alla Caprese, or Tagliolini with Lobster Mushrooms. It all adds up to a perfect combination, one that would make Fellini proud.