Martorano’s Italian-American Kitchen at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will celebrate its grand opening on Thursday, March 25 beginning at 7 p.m. with a celebrity-filled red carpet and colorful fanfare from the world-renowned and 2010 award-winning Philadelphia Mummers. Set to inaugurate the Philly-inspired hotspot in style will be Kelly Bensimon of Bravo TVs Real Housewives of New York City and Playboy, Shaquille O’Neal, Frank Stallone, Jerry Blavat with many more soon to be announced are expected to attend the festivities.
Martorano’s is the newest South Florida gourmet entry from famed restaurateur Steve Martorano whose extensive background in the dining and nightclub industry has already won him rave reviews for his Fort Lauderdale Café Martorano’s location and Las Vegas at The Rio.
Martorano’s Italian-American Kitchen is designed as the ultimate dining experience where the magic of great food and music unfold. Guests can expect a friendly atmosphere accented with music, classic movies and more. The 7,400-square-foot restaurant seats 300 inside and outside and features white Italian marble bar tops, a mozzarella bar complete with an antique Italian prosciutto slicer and nostalgic artwork and photos of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Mario Lanza intermingled with Steve Martorano’s own personal family and celebrity photos.
An exhibition kitchen shows off Steve and his team as they work their culinary magic, nightly, preparing fresh mozzarella, various Italian salads, homemade cornbread, jumbo shrimp scampi bread and Martorano’s world-famous meatballs. Other signature dishes include Linguine and Fresh Clams, Orecchiette with Hot and Sweet Sausage, Fusilli Pollo, Bucatini Amatriciana and more are fast becoming crowd-pleasing favorites. After-hours, the restaurant and outdoor bar caters to the late night scene by serving the best Philly Cheese Steak on this side of the east coast along with meatball sandwiches, savory chicken wings and three kinds of specialty pizzas – Classic, Platinum and Hot and Sweet Soppersata.
Martorano’s also features a nightly DJ spinning classic R&B and pop standards like Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble accompanied by a state-of-the-
art 10,000-watt sound and interactive lighting system .High-definition televisions throughout the restaurant entertain diners with scenes from Martorano’s favorite classic movies, sporting events, fashion, travel and cooking shows.
Buddy Morton, owner of Passion Nightclub at Seminole Paradise and the former owner of several nightclubs in the Atlantic City, N.J., area is Steve Martorano’s restaurant partner.
Martorano’s Italian-American Kitchen is open Tuesday – Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturdays from 5:30 p.m. until 1 a.m., closed on Mondays. For more information and reservations, please call 954-584-4450.
Steve Martorano’s humble beginnings were as a club DJ in the ‘70s before opening his one-man operation, a sandwich delivery business which he ran from his apartment (and later from his mother’s basement). His creations became so popular in South Philly, that Steve opened his first outside venture – a take-out restaurant in a strip mall serving pizza, sandwiches and pasta dishes. Again, increasing demand moved him to a larger, free-standing sit down restaurant. In 1993, Steve moved to Fort Lauderdale and started what would become a South Florida legend. Seventeen years later, Café Martorano’s on Oakland Park Boulevard has become a worldwide sensation. Its unique atmosphere combines exceptional food with extraordinary music. Authentic Italian-American dishes are served amidst showings of Martorano’s favorite movies and music on a sound system that rivals that of South Beach’s hottest clubs. The ambience attracts a clientele that ranges from the local, sexy, hip crowd to entertainment’s hottest celebrities. Steve Martorano opened his chic Las Vegas location at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in 2007. Like Fort Lauderdale, the restaurant has received rave reviews for its innovative dishes and homemade sauces and accompaniments.
Over the course of two decades, Steve Martorano has achieved the remarkable accomplishment of raising the bar for the entire restaurant industry. This “Italian Guy from the Neighborhood” has taken the craft of cooking to new levels through persistence and hard work. With his self-taught talent, Steve has created venues in which as owner he is the chef, DJ and operator. More information can be found at www.cafemartorano.com .