A couple of friends introduced us to Makkeroni several months ago and it almost instantly became a regular weekly dinner spot for us. It’s pretty conveniently located (for us) on 4th Street between 10th and 15th Avenues, across from Hotel Barrio Latino.

The place doesn’t look like much, in fact, we had walked by it possibly 100 times before our friends told us to meet them there for dinner. It’s just a small place with a couple tables on the sidewalk and a few more inside. It has a palapa roof and several of those jellyfish lights that are made from carved gourds.

We usually get the same thing every time we go there, but we have occasionally branched out and tried various pastas. All of the pastas we have tried have been good, but we really go for the pizza. (I once tried the grilled shrimp served with a salad and highly do NOT recommend that dish- I think it sat there cooling and waiting for my friend’s pizzas- ich).

We decided we should review Makkeroni, since we’re there so often the owner and waiter know us! We ordered our usual appetizer, the Caprese, which is a lovely fresh mozzarella and tomato dish topped with baby basil leaves and oregano. The Caprese is served with warm, relatively crusty (for Mexico) bread. Fresh mozzarella is one of the reasons we love this place, it tastes like home, and fresh mozzarella isn’t something one can just get anywhere.

We usually split a pizza, and this time was no different. We ordered a Pizza Vegetariana, which is large enough to feed two people, but probably not three, since the slices are not as doughy as pizza in the States. The pizzas are cooked in a brick oven and have the thin, cracker-like crusts that I associate with Mexican (rather than New Jersian) pizza, but probably has more to do with Playa having a large Italian expat community. The Vegetarian pizza comes with olives, onions, peppers, zucchini, and artichoke hearts, and probably whatever other veggies they happen to have on hand.

The restaurant doesn’t have much ambiance, but the food is so good and it’s close enough to our house, that we find ourselves at Makkeroni regularly. I noticed that they are now doing delivery, as well, so that may be our next adventure.

Stop by Makkeroni when you’re in the mood for something good. The pizzas are light, the pastas are filling. They also serve beer and wine, which is a plus.