After a 16-year run as one of the most acclaimed Italian restaurants in the city, Del Posto shut its doors in March 2020 and officially announced its closing last year. But the expansive space on the West Side that housed the eatery is, quite literally, getting a new lease on life thanks to Del Posto's former Executive Chef Melissa Rodriguez.
Along with fellow Del Posto alum Jeff Katz and Radicle Hospitality partner James Kent, Chef Rodriguez and the team are opening three new establishments at the property. The first of which, Mel's, is now open and generating plenty of buzz.
The new dining destination puts a spotlight on wood-fired pizza, positioning it as a mid-course dish between vegetable antipasti and "from the fire" mains like a whole grilled branzino.
"We refer to Mel’s as a ‘pizza restaurant’ rather than a ‘pizzeria,’" says Chef Rodriguez. "At a standard-issue slice joint or a typical sit-down pizzeria, pizza is served as the main. At Mel’s, pizza can be a mid-course. The menu starts with vegetable appetizers roasted in the oven and grilled over the fire, continues to pizza, and finishes with large-format proteins. It’s quite simply the place I want to eat on my day off."
Of course, the pizza concept is naturally playful, but Mel's is serving up some serious pies driven by quality ingredients, including the mushroom with smoked mozzarella, shallot, garlic, and aged balsamic and the Frutti di Mare, topped with octopus, squid, and shrimp. For dessert? Decked-out gelato sundaes we can already predict will be a hit on Instagram.
The eatery's design, like its menu, revolves around the glittering mirror-tiled pizza oven and wood-fire grill at the kitchen's center, with a wraparound counter encircling the open kitchen as well as boucle-upholstered banquettes and a semi-private dining space. Deep tones of red and yellow further evoke the warmth of the hearth. And while the chic spot is undeniably upscale, the vibe is casual enough for an after-work wine-down or a family-style group outing. We mean, there's never a wrong occasion for pizza.
Click through for your first look inside!
[Photos courtesy Mel's]
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