Inside MidiCi: Neapolitan Pizza Is Assembly Row's Latest Draw

SOMERVILLE, MA – After months of development – and a last-minute weather delay – MidiCi opened its first New England restaurant Friday at Assembly Row. The Neapolitan pizza chain saw wait times of up to an hour and a half on its first day of business, according to one Patch writer turned hopeful patron, so needless to say folks were curious about the shopping center's latest offering.

Patch toured MidiCi along with several other local media members the day before its grand opening and saw firsthand how the restaurant brings its Neapolitan pizzas to life.

The space, designed by celebrated Los Angeles hotel and restaurant designer and architect Sam Marshall, features the trappings of an old Italian village - a tree and potted plants greet guests at the front door, black and white movies are projected on the far wall, a manual meat slicer sits on the front counter and customers are encouraged to photograph their experience with the restaurant's polaroid cameras.

At the center of the restaurant sits "the Heart," two wood-fired ovens that cook pies in a minute and a half. When a pie is ready to serve, the staff places a card under it to ensure first hands to touch it are the customer's.

The menu is the brainchild of Italian natives and renowned Neapolitan pizza chefs Peppe Miele and Mario Vollera. It includes authentic drinks and dishes – from artisan burratas and traditional pizzas to craft beers, fine wines and cocktails – to offer a "complete Neapolitan pizza experience."

Photos by Alex Newman (Patch Staff)