New Port St. Lucie restaurant: Pizza bar serves garlic knot sandwich, authentic Italian food
What's the name of the new restaurant in Port St. Lucie?
La Mattina’s Trattoria & Pizza Bar
Where is La Mattina's?
5325 N.W. East Torino Parkway, Port St. Lucie, in Torino Lakes plaza, just south of Midway Road. It's a newly constructed shopping center with two separate buildings that also includes Sugar'd Up Dessert Studio and Machu Picchu Restaurant.
Who owns La Mattina's?
Michael La Mattina, 42, owns the restaurant and runs it with his parents, Nicholas and Carmela; his wife, April, and their three children; his brother-in-law, niece and nephew. His father, Nicholas, 72, and mother, Carmela, 70, cook their authentic Italian recipes in the kitchen. He's from Sicily, and she's from a little town outside Naples. "This is a true family operation. It's all our family recipes," said Michael La Mattina, who provided all the information for this article.
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What kind of restaurant is La Mattina's?
La Mattina’s is a trattoria, pizza bar and Italian restaurant.
What kind of food does La Mattina's serve?
Appetizers, soups, salads, hand-tossed pizzas, specialty pies, strombolis, calzones, garlic knot sandwiches, subs, handmade pastas, big plates and desserts. The pizza dough is made fresh daily. When it comes to the garlic knots, he doesn't want to give away the secret to his technique. "I'm going to put it on the record now: We have the best garlic knots that anyone's ever tried."
What’s popular on the La Mattina's menu?
The Knotwich: 6-ounce handmade garlic knot sandwiches that include eggplant or chicken Parmesan, Italian sausage, Caprese and muffaletta ($13.95)
Pop’s meatballs: Big Nick's meatballs with ricotta, basil and tomato sauce ($5.95 for 2, $9.95 for 4)
Anita's margherita: Specialty pizza pie with hand-tossed dough, herb-garlic oil, ricotta cheese, vine-ripe tomato, basil, garlic and buffalo mozzarella ($18.95 for 14-inch medium, $22.95 for 16-inch large)
What’s the La Mattina's owners' background?
Michael La Mattina always worked in the restaurant industry. When he was in his 20s, he owned Hobe Sound Italian Restaurant for six years. It's the kitchen where he perfected the family recipe for garlic knots. He's been the general manger of Sailor’s Return in Stuart for 15 years, helping it open in 2009, and he's staying there. His mom previously helped in the kitchen for his brother, an executive chef who’s opened high-end restaurants in South Florida.
When did La Mattina's open?
Nov. 17
What are La Mattina's hours?
11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
What’s La Mattina's phone number and website?
772-667-6755, lamattinas.com
Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter and columnist dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Follow her on Twitter @TCPalmLaurie and Facebook @TCPalmLaurie. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: La Mattina’s Trattoria & Pizza Bar opens in Port St. Lucie
