The man in the kitchen is chef-owner Massimo Mammarella, who left his home in Bologna, Italy, married Cuban-born Clara and now caters to a multilingual clientele with Northern Italian cuisine . With entrees like rack of veal and whole baked branzino, the quiet, classic venue is mainly priced for special occasions, but you can also find personal pizzas and inexpensive pasta dishes. Finish with mascarpone al limoncello served in a Flintstone-size margarita-style glass.
Just five miles from Dolphin Stadium, Massimo's Italian Cuisine sounded like the perfect place to meet friends for a pregame dinner. We weren't expecting white tablecloths and candlelight, flowing ivory curtains and abstract art in this easily missed storefront restaurant on Miramar Parkway. Yet no one balked at our baseball T's. Ambitious Massimo's is upscale, but not snooty.
With entrees like rack of veal, whole baked branzino and porterhouse steak, the quiet, classic venue is mainly priced for special occasions, but you can find personal pizzas emerging from a wood-burning oven and a long list of fairly inexpensive pasta dishes.
The man in the kitchen and circulating among the tables is chef-owner Massimo Mammarella, who left his home in Bologna, Italy, seven years ago, married Cuban-born Clara and now caters to a multilingual clientele with Northern Italian cuisine.
The Antipasto Italiano is a generous starter with salami, prosciutto, Gorgonzola, black olives, artichokes and a Caprese salad of tomatoes and creamy fior de latte mozzarella (made with fresh cow's milk).
Fried calamari is lightly dusted with flour and practically greaseless. On another visit, the calamari was a bit more chewy in the Guazzetto del Adriatic, a melange of seafood with crostini in an aromatic marinara sauce with a hint of the sea.
Massimo's offers three renditions of labor-intensive risotto, a dish that requires perfect timing. Mammarella does right by his risotto al funghi porcini, marrying the nutty grains of rice with the delicate mushrooms to produce a velvety but not overly creamy texture.
Massimo's offers a long list of pasta dishes -- the place to turn if you don't want to drop a wad for dinner. A simple dish of clams with homemade tagliolini and zucchini sauced with olive oil and white wine was delicious. We also liked the pairing of plump shrimp (flavorful though a tad overcooked) with squid-ink-blackened tagliolini in a light lemon-butter sauce, though my friend lamented the absence of veggies or greens.
Pizzas emerge from the brick oven with a touch of smokiness, from basic margherita to frutti del mare with a bounty of seafood -- calamari, shrimp, mussels and clams in the shell (it's often served this way in Italy).
Just five of 20 entrees are under $25, and several are market price. The filet mignon was competent but a bit chewy, paired with a robust peppercorn sauce. Mammarella fillets a whole sole table-side with finesse and serves it with sautéed vegetables -- good, fresh and solid, but for $38.95, you expect something more.
By-the-glass wine options are limited to pinot grigio, chardonnay, cabernet, merlot and chianti, but there is a good selection of mostly Italian bottles with some California and international choices. It may have been a language issue, but when we asked about the oakiness of one selection, our amiable young waiter said "What's that?"
Service is generally a plus here with a warm, welcoming staff, beginning with Mammarella, who stops by tables to say hello.
On one visit, our server suggested a scrumptious mascarpone al limoncello served in a giant margarita-style glass with two ladyfingers. My friend and I felt like Wilma and Betty diving into this Flintstone-sized, ultra creamy confection with a splash of limoncello (add Nutella and fresh strawberries for a few dollars extra).
Desserts also include a light panna cotta with mixed berries, a house-made ricotta cheesecake and tiramisu. Like Massimo, they're sweet and satisfying, good enough to try again.
