Formerly a pasta factory and then an Italian grocery, this Brooklyn shop is now home to Café Mars, an unusual Italian restaurant that’s looking to expand what the definition of what an Italian restaurant actually is. And no, it has nothing to do with outer space.
Nestled in the historically Italian neighborhood of Gowanus, the location of Café Mars alone is steeped in Italian history and sits across the street from where co-chef Paul D’Avino’s great grandfather arrived from Tramonti (Campania), Italy in 1901.
The team behind the restaurant–D’Avino, along with co-chef Jorge Olarte and service and beverage director Madalyn Summers–have combined experience at Wd~50, Ma Peche, Estela, Aska, Rolf & Daughters, and others, and have combined that experience along with their travels and studies to approach Italian cuisine in a more broad sense.
That’s to say their menu goes beyond just Italy, highlighting the various ways Italian food is consumed around the globe, from the port cities of the Americas to the itameshi cuisine of Japan.
And their dishes are just as colorful and out-of-the-box as you can imagine.
Snacks and apps such as castelvetrano olives surrounded in a negroni gel–now that’s definitely one Jell-O shot we’re definitely interested in–garlic knot monkey bread, and market cukes with smoked salmon roe, tarragon, and mozzarella whey granita make for perfect pre-meal nibbles.
Several pasta dishes make up their entrees, including in-house made baked potato gnocchi cheese with broccoli and bacon bits, and triangle penne with onion gravy, beef cheeks, and pecorino.
Bigger dishes include pancake primavera (their take on okonomiyaki “seen through an Italian lens,” says Eater) with pickles, green garlic, carrot Bulldog sauce, and roasted Boston mackerel wuth sweet & sour turnips, pepitas, and nori.
The restaurant’s decor also plays a role in reframing the Italian restaurant experience.
Neutral floors, walls, and ceilings unexpectedly pair together with neon lighting, chairs with zig-zag hot pink legs, and a royal blue bar, setting up the space to pretty much look the exact opposite way you’d expect an Italian restaurant to look–though in the best way possible.
According to Eater, they’re even going all out with three-foot-tall pepper mills!
Café Mars opened this past May, and it’s already making a name for itself as a go-to summer dining destination.
Learn more and make a reservation on their website.
📍 Café Mars – 272 3rd Ave, Brooklyn
⏰ Wednesday-Thursday 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 5:30 p.m – 10 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.