Matteo's is right downtown on the square in Noblesville across from the courthouse. You can't miss it and locals certainly don't. They've been going there for about 12 years for authentic Italian cuisine and a little entertainment from the owners, Matteo and Emily DiRosa.
I knew I was going to like the place when I called and got Matteo on the phone. With his thick Italian accent and jovial attitude, you could tell it was going to be the real deal.
When we got to the restaurant in the morning, before the doors opened, Matteo's father-in-law Mark was already fast at work on the fresh bread they churn out daily. The smell of fresh Italian bread is so inviting. "I make 90 pounds of fresh dough a day," said Mark Herner.
After a few lessons on how to knead the bread and mold it into a loaf, it was Matteo who took over in the kitchen.
First he made one of his more popular appetizers.
Matteo explains to me that the Salumeria Da Matteo is kind of like how you would order sushi. Customers can order whatever kind of Italian meats and cheeses they want for themselves, or the entire table. Oh, and the mozzarella he puts on the plate, made in- house, and is as creamy as ever. So amazing!
"I just made this yesterday," said Matteo as he took a big bite out of the mozzarella.
Check out the menu.
Matteo also made for me a customer favorite called the Tortellini Matteo. One of the ways you know you are getting a fresh dish here: every item is made to order. No sauce is sitting in a big pan, just waiting to be dished out onto a pile of pasta.
For the tortellini, Matteo starts by sautéeing red onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil. Add fresh mushrooms and thinly sliced ham. After a few minutes over the flames, Matteo adds what he calls the "special ingredient."
"White wine, it's the special ingredient, it makes everything taste better!" Matteo explained.
He finishes the dish off with heavy cream and salt and pepper, fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese. After the sauce comes to a boil, he mixes in the tortellini, fresh out of the boiling water. Matteo says the biggest mistake people make with pasta and sauces is just pouring the sauce over the pasta. You have to mix the pasta into the sauce, although as I watch this impressive cook work, he never once stirs the food. He just flips it in the air like the pro he is, covering every piece of noodle in creamy, cheesy deliciousness. It was heaven.
When I took my first bite, even though I don't really care for mushrooms, every flavor hit my tongue. I know I will never be able to make a sauce like this, but that's okay, because I know I can always head to Matteo's!
Of course, I now need something to wash all this amazing Italian down with, right? Matteo's wife Emily has me covered. While Matteo runs the kitchen, she runs everything in front of the house, from the customers and the wait staff, to the fantastic bar creations.
She's lined up all her ingredients for what she calls the Martini Sorrentini, a tribute to the great Italian city near where her husband grew up, Sorrento - where Emily says the lemons grow so big they look like grapefruits.
For this drink, lemon-flavored vodka, a dash of lemonade, and a lemon peel-twist. But the shining star, the homemade limoncello they make in house, that takes up to two weeks to marinate. Definitely a great way to start any meal at Matteo's! But please save room for my favorite, the Nutella Martini. Emily lines a Martini glass with a thick layer of Nutella, and then pours in a delicious concoction of liqueurs. The end result, a dazzling drink that seriously tastes like chocolate cake.
I really enjoyed my time at Matteo's and the darling couple who, by the way, if you stop in on a Wednesday night, will be singing live in the dining room, to their happy, and delightfully full, customers.
Matteo's website
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11-2
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 5-10:30
Sunday 3-9
40 North 9th Street
Noblesville IN 46060
Phone: 317.774.9771
Fax: 317.774.9781