Amalfi Ristorante Italiano brings sophisticated atmosphere and elegant dining to the neighborhood, and it may soon be the place you call “ours.”
Story by N. Brooks Clark | Photos by Molly Herb
Appeared in Cityview Magazine, November/December 2026
Since the demise of Naples Italian Restaurant, Bearden has yearned for a new go-to, the little Italian place you head to for a celebration or just because it’s Tuesday. In the former home of Big Fatty’s, Amalfi is more intimate, but a go-to nonetheless, and one you’ll soon be suggesting without a second thought.
Owner Paul Martin was among those who kept waiting for the opening of a new family-run Italian restaurant, until he decided to tap into his family history and create one himself.
His grandfather, Mario Izzo, was the longtime owner and manager of Café Amalfi near New Symphony Hall in Boston’s historic Back Bay. It was the place to be seen, attracting Nobel laureates, Julia Child, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Fiedler of the Pops, and other celebrities. “My love of food was born at my grandfather’s restaurant,” says Martin, “where I have my fondest and earliest memories. As an Italian American raised in downtown Boston, I grew up with some of the world’s most famous and enjoyable Italian food, whether it was my grandmother’s unbeatable weekly ‘Sunday Sauce’ or walking the streets of the North End, munching on fried calamari and zeppole. Mario sold Amalfi in 1981, but the inspiration lives on.
In a previous life, Martin tried to re-create the magic of Café Amalfi in Glen Cove, Long Island, but he discovered that New York had plenty of great Italian restaurants, and then some.
In his current life in Knoxville, Martin kept waiting for the Naples replacement. “Everywhere I looked,” he says, “Boston, New York, New Orleans, there are family-owned Italian restaurants.” When the Big Fatty’s space opened up in Bearden, Martin and his wife, Meredith, decided to make their move.
With its 10 tables and 12 seats at the bar, the setting is intimate. (Bar seats are in demand and require reservations.) Aubergine-colored walls set an intimate and elegant tone, and each element of the décor has a story. In the restroom foyer, “Shores of Sorrento” depicts cliffside villas of the Amalfi Coast, while another painting shows a canal in Venice. The two large dining-room paintings of Twenties-era flappers are by Martin himself, inspired by his mother’s favorite artist, Itzchak Tarkay. “It’s his casual atmosphere and use of color,” says Martin. “It’s my own version of that style.”
On the wall in a corner of the bar hangs a 1936 menu from the Café Amalfi next to a hand-drawn sketch of jazz drummer Giorgio Capuzzo by Tony Bennett, signed “to my favorite musician.”
Executive Chef Tiffany Hicks has a remarkable resume, starting with her childhood in Cincinnati. “When other kids watched cartoons on Saturday mornings,” says Hicks, a five-foot-two animated vision of enthusiasm, “I watched Julia Child, Yan Can Cook, and the Frugal Gourmet.” She started peeling potatoes at the Maisonette in Cincinnati at 14, went to the Penn Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh, and earned a degree in nutrition from Pitt. She headed to Florida, cooking at the Boca Raton Resort and Club (where the July 4 party in Caddyshack was filmed), becoming a personal chef for the Miami Dolphins and owner Wayne Huizenga, and touring with rappers and other musicians. She later worked at restaurants including Grand Lux, Cheesecake Factory, Seminole Casino, and P.F. Chang’s before landing at the Biltmore’s Stable Café, Southern Comfort in Gatlinburg, and DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge. “On my first day I was filling out my forms,” says Hicks. “Dolly was coming down the hall. She said, ‘Hello there, is it your first day?’ I couldn’t speak. She said, ‘Have a great day!’ I was crying like a little girl. The next time I saw her she said, ‘Hi, Tiffany.’ I said, ‘Hi, Miss Dolly.’ She said, ‘Call me Dolly.’”
In 2022, Hicks was featured in Food & Wine for the elaborate dinners she provided guests who booked the Dolly Tour Bus Experience, with proceeds going to Dolly’s Foundation. She was working at Bravo! when Paul and Meredith offered her the job at Amalfi. “They said I would love cooking again,” says Hicks, “and I do.”
The Frutti di Mare of sautéed jumbo shrimp, calamari, mussels, and spaghetti, can be Bianco, “Old World” Marinara or Fra Diavolo Style.
Our evening began with a Gnocco Fritto charcuterie board of Genoa salami, mortadella, prosciutto, mascarpone herbed cream, and marinated roasted red peppers with gnocco fritto, crispy fried bread.
An Insalata Lombardi salad combined mixed greens, radicchio, dried cherries, gorgonzola, onions, and an absolutely fantastic guanciale vinaigrette that, says Hicks, “makes all the flavors shine through.”
The Spicy Vodka Amalfi (tell Chef Tiffany if you’d like a little extra kick) presented fresh rigatoni in old-world-style pomodoro sauce with heat from Calabrian chilis. Tossed with roasted guanciale crumbles, then flamed with vodka and a touch of cream and fresh basil, this is a real treat. It’s a standout dish we found ourselves thinking about on the way home. “It’s one of our No. 1 sellers,” noted Hicks.
Martin suggested Amalfi Pinot Nero La Diva made by Cordoni Mason, a small vineyard in Umbria, Italy.
Our thinly sliced Veal Piccata di Vitello featured pounded veal medallions prepared in the classic style, sautéed in white wine with lemon and capers, and served with roasted garlic mascarpone mashed potatoes and wilted spinach. Chicken and shrimp variations are also available.
The varied entrées will keep diners coming back. Several seafood selections jump out. The Frutti di Mare of sautéed jumbo shrimp, calamari, mussels, and spaghetti can be Bianco “Old World” Marinara or Fra Diavolo Style. Branzino al Amalfi is a Mediterranean sea bass in lemon-caper butter sauce with grilled ciabatta, whipped roasted garlic potatoes, and grilled broccolini. A favorite fall special is Sea Scallops and Lemon Pesto Risotto, featuring pan-seared jumbo wild scallops over creamy Arborio rice and finished with vibrant lemon confit pesto.
Dessert was the Drunken Nonna, which Paul says is named for his mother. It’s a classic Italian olive oil cake made with buttermilk, amaretto, and citrus, served atop Prosecco-macerated berries. It is refreshing and citrus-sweet.
Come once for the Spicy Vodka Amalfi, and don’t be surprised if you’re a regular by the time the Drunken Nonna arrives.
