Fashion-fired
La Specialità (Design District)
RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: Known for attracting the fashion set on their lunch breaks, Milan-born pizzeria La Specialità opened its first U.S. location in Miami’s Design District this summer.
The Vibe: Spacious and bright, the dining room is lined with cream-cushioned and polished-wood banquettes for a sleek, minimalist midcentury Italian aesthetic. Its anchored by a gallery wall with contemporary art by KAWS, Takashi Murakami, Rashid Johnson, and Cameron Welch. A 10-foot brick oven features a custom mosaic on another wall that opens up to the kitchen, and a marble pizza bar allows guests to observe the action, with service that’s brisk and professional.
The Food: My meal opened with a chopped paillard salad. Perfect for lunch, the salad is filled with lemon-pepper chicken tossed with baby kale, arugula, and pesto in lemon vinaigrette, and contains enough protein to actually satisfy the craving for both a chicken paillard and a chopped salad. Wagyu meatballs arrived oversized and tender in marinara, topped with grated parmesan. And the off-menu spicy rigatoni ranks among the best versions I’ve enjoyed in recent memory, with real heat and creamy sauce.
And then, of course, the pizzas. The Max pizza delivers spicy salami blanketing every inch of the pie to the crust’s edge over gorgonzola cheese and tomato sauce. The truffle pizza piles on mushroom paste, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh shaved truffles with no restraint. Dessert comes as a Nutella pizza with the chocolate-hazelnut spread tucked under the crust, topped with berries and whipped cream.
The Drink: The cocktail list sticks to classics: martinis, negronis, and spritzes while the wine list highlights Italy.
The Verdict: Equally appropriate for a business lunch or a dinner date, La Specialità brings polished Milan elegance to a simpatico Miami neighborhood. –Olee Fowler
→ La Specialità (Design District) • 40 NE 41st St • Wed-Fri 530p-10p, Sat-Sun 12p-10p • Reserve.