A Taste of Evan Funke’s Roman Creations at Mother Wolf Miami

I was thrilled to finally visit Miami’s recently opened Mother Wolf, the third location (after Los Angeles and Las Vegas) of a restaurant showcasing the acclaimed dishes of pasta master Evan Funke. He is a true artist of dough, which he makes for his pasta and pizza and amazingly light but crusty focaccias.

His talent is one of a kind, mostly because he focuses on true ancient culinary Roman traditions.

Photo: Courtesy of Wonho Frank Lee

Miami’s Mother Wolf rivals the Los Angeles location for grandeur, with the signature pasta lab, enclosed in glass, in open view. The decor was conceptualized by the London-based Martin Brudnizki Design Studio with styling by Bernadette Blanc.

Photo: Courtesy of Wonho Frank Lee

Its luxurious Roman craftsmanship gives Miamians a respite from the faux art deco interiors and splashy over-the-top visuals found elsewhere. At Mother Wolf Miami, service, food and wine shine equally.

Top-Class Bar

A bar stretches across the space, serving inventive, refreshing cocktails like the Campo de Fiori (ritual aperitif mixed with vermut blanc, tomato, basil and black pepper) and the La Capa (a perfect mix of Mijenta blanco tequila, Ancho Verde, cucumber and Calabrian chili).

All these cocktails are appetite openers, setting us up for a culinary experience best enjoyed in groups.

Photo: Courtesy of Wonho Frank Lee

A must-start is the sfincione in bianco, chef Funke’s signature golden-brown focaccia tanned by the grace of olive oil, sea salt and wild oregano. Don’t miss the fiori di zucca, perfectly crisp fried squash blossoms filled with ricotta fresca and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Photo: Courtesy of Eric Wolfinger

And the suppli al telefono—a carnaroli rice croquette with guanciale, a side of delicious pomodoro, and sprinkled with pecorino Romano DOP—is famous for its stringy mozzarella di bufala that swings like a telephone cord when piping hot.

Photo: Courtesy of Eric Wolfinger

Instead of pizza we opted to share La Mortazza, containing a slice of mortadella brunched up in florets and stuffed into a crispy baked crust that has been folded like a pita. This is a marvelous marriage of soul-satisfying ingredients and techniques, simple but perfectly executed.

Photo: Courtesy of Wonho Frank Lee

Tonnarelli cacio e pepe is an achievement: thick, spaghetti-like al dente pasta, coated with pecorino Romano cheese and fragrant black pepper.

For something hearty and meaty, the rigatoncini alla vaccinara vibrates with the hallucinogenic multisensory flavors of an oxtail ragù. I left the other meat pasta, pappardelle al cinghiale with wild boar ragù, for my next visit. Simpler pastas such as the gnocchi di ricotta with burro e oro and linguine al limone with Meyer lemon, basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano are popular alternatives.

Photo: Courtesy of Eric Wolfinger

Most of the tables around us had the costoletta fritta, a crispy bone-in veal chop, or the zuppa di pesce, with an abundant variety of fresh seasonal shellfish and fish, served with pizza bianca to absorb the succulent broth.

Photo: Courtesy of Wonho Frank Lee

The extensive menu hits all the marks and continues with the desserts. Torta all olio d’oliva, an olive oil case with Florida citrus jams, finocchio candito and gelato al fiori di Sicilia, zipped up our evening and sent us home satisfied and happy.

Best For

Exquisite Italian dishes based on ancient Roman techniques. A grand evening on the town with colleagues, family and friends.

Verdict

Miami is fortunate to have the third location of Mother Wolf, bringing chef Evan Funke’s masterful touch to the East Coast. Sublime pastas are the hallmark of a memorable culinary experience.
motherwolfmiami.com