Mel's

The compact restaurant room that was previously John Dory is now a pizzeria: Mel's, the first restaurant of a new culinary complex here, squeezed snuggly to one side of the former Del Posto. Melissa J. Rodriguez, a former Del Posto and Daniel chef, is teaming up with Jeff Katz and James Kent of Crown Shy and Saga to create this enormous location. While its finely calibrated lighting will keep it "glowy and sensual," it will also be the kind of restaurant you can pop into just because you're hungry and it's Tuesday. Mel's is warmly decorated with orange tones and polished light wood, with a bar and dining counter that open into a back dining area and a massive wood-fired pizza oven in the center. Ms. Rodriguez explained, "Everything is cooked with wood. There’s no gas here." The pizzas begin with a Margherita base but quickly branch out to include mushrooms, smoked mozzarella, and sliced shallots, as well as kale, basil pesto, ricotta, and preserved lemon. Wood-fired dishes include roasted parsnips with robiola cheese, roasted maitake mushrooms with soppressata piccante, and charred shrimp, as well as major courses such as entire fish, whole roasted cauliflower, and strip steak. Dessert is not an afterthought or something to forego at this pizzeria. Consider a milk chocolate gelato with a dark chocolate sable swirl, salted caramel and fior di latte gelato with caramel sauce and shortbread crumble, or a Little Italy-inspired Italian rainbow cookie hot fudge sundae. To coordinate your private event, fill out the contact form on the Mel’s website.