out&about: O’Munaciello

O’MUNACIELLO * 6425 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL

Every good Neapolitan home has a well-worn copy of the Smorfia sitting on a shelf somewhere. A deeply superstitious city, where around each corner there’s salt being tossed over shoulders and red horns being rubed, the Smorfia was devised to translate dreams into lottery winnings centuries ago. From 1 to 90, the people, places, and things dreamt are assigned a number. In the morning, hopeful souls recall and assemble the numbers to play in that day’s games. At O’Munaciello, a recently opened pizzeria-ristorante in Miami’s fast-growing MiMo neighborhood, each table is whimsically lined with a paper cover depicting the Smorfia through charming drawings done in Naples’s striking signature blue. The folklore isn’t confined to the tables, however, as the room is packed with proud symbols. At least half a dozen hand-painted terracotta statuettes depict the colorful, jovial 19th-century Scartelatto. These figures of legend were said to walk the streets of the city swinging jars of incense, singing traditional songs, and offering promises of good fortune to whomever might pass them a coin or two.

 

Start a meal here as you would in any good pizzeria in Napoli, with a mix of traditional fried treats. The Frienno Magnanno is a fun dish to share. This culinary tour offers a rice ball seasoned with a ground beef ragú and vibrant green peas, mashed potato croquette, mozzarella in carozza (translates to “mozzarella in a carriage,” referencing the crispy bread hugging the creamy, oozy cheese) and a couple baby montanara, or pizza dough fried crispy, topped with sauce and sprinkled with Parmigiano. Cut the richness of these naughty treats with a thoroughly refreshing, lush glass of well-chilled Falanghina – an ancient vine brought to the region by the Greeks when they settled “Neapolis” or the “new city” over three thousand years ago.

 

When you’re ready, marvel at the nearly 40 pizzas offered on a nightly basis. Carmine Candito, the pizzaolo (pizza-maker) has rock star status in his hometown where he’s been featured in Gambero Rosso, Italy’s best-known foodguide. He’ll be happy to make suggestions and guide you, but I think the consistent quality of the ingredients coupled with its famous dough means there is no such thing as a bad choice. I adore the Maradona Pizza, named after the famous bad-boy soccer player born in Argentina who brought team Napoli to victory in the 80’s. It starts as many others do with the best tomatoes grown in the rich volcanic soil of Mt. Vesuvius and topped with just enough mozzarella. Before it heads into the 900-plus degree wood-burning oven, dabs of Nduja, a creamy spreadable salami from Calabria is dropped on the surface. After just 90 seconds a sizzling-hot pie emerges, and is quickly christened with an entire ball of burrata. The cool, milky cheese plays against the somewhat spicy sausage for a perfect bite.

Decadent and creamy, yet bright, the Pastiera Napolitana can’t be missed. Once made only by grandmothers on Holy Thursday for Easter, this ricotta and grain cake screams summer on the Amalfi Coast to me, thanks in no small part to the citrus notes provided by the orange flower water and pieces of candied peel. After a completing the meal with a very ristretto coffee, don’t forget to rub the back of the kooky, life-sized Scartelatto waiting just outside the front door. You never know what luck he may bring!