When a group of the most celebrated folks in Tulsa’s food scene conspire to create a little Italian spot in the Brookside neighborhood, you know it will be successful, and delicious. Malfi Enoteca may be inspired by the Amalfi Coast — the stretch of coastline in southern Italy known for its picturesque cliffside coastal towns and delightful cuisine — but the vibe is straight from an Italian 1950s neighborhood.
Malfi is the neighborhood restaurant we needed, and it is a who’s who of James Beard nominees: Sheamus Feeley for Best New Restaurant (Noche) and Ben Alexander for Best Chef Southwest (McNellie’s Group) designed the menu, and Cat Cox, the 2025 winner of Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker (Country Bird Bakery), supplies the bread.
“Elliot (Nelson) and Ben led the charge,” Feeley says about them floating the idea of an Italian restaurant in the spot once home to Freya and Mondo’s original Brookside location. “Our focus was to keep it a simple and straightforward neighborhood spot,” Feeley says.
The menu is featured on newsprint, so sip an Away Kit (which Feeley describes as the Manhattan’s “Italian cousin who visits for the summer”) and peruse the offerings that are divided between “pasta” and “not pasta.” The menu features 21 items from starters to desserts. Chef Sam English, a Tulsa native who returned to the state to work at Noche, helped open Malfi. “He has great energy,” Feeley says.
Malfi Tomato toast
For starters, a favorite is the Malfi Tomato Toast, which is bruschetta-like but instead of clunky chopped tomatoes on hard-to-bite toasts, the fresh, garlicky tomato mixture is slathered over toasted slices of Country Bird Bakery sourdough. White bean dip with crisp pancetta, herbs and pistachios also is popular, served with more of that amazing sourdough.
The four salad options (lemony arugula, classic Caesar, kale with cherries and gorgonzola, and the Malfi chopped salad) are big enough to share and offer a tart side note that pairs well with the rich pasta.
Roast chicken with white beans, roasted salmon with tabbouleh, and Barbera-
braised short ribs with polenta round out the “not pasta” section.
Pasta dishes are where Malfi shines, and all five offerings are popular with diners. Some of the pasta is made in-house, like the tagliatelle and tagliolini, but the bucatini is made in Oklahoma City by Della Terra Pasta, a company that uses old-world techniques including bronze dies and slow drying to create pasta with incredible texture — perfect for catching the delicious sauces created by English’s team. The rigatoni and spaghetti are sourced directly from Italy.
Bucatini with basil cream, pesto and whipped burrata
My favorite is the bucatini (long hollow noodles) tossed with basil cream, pesto and whipped burrata cheese. You can add meatballs, chicken or salmon to any of the pasta dishes. Except for the three entrees in “not pasta,” all food items are under $20.
The dessert offerings are simple: baked ricotta cake, chilled panna cotta with fruit conserva or vanilla gelato affogato (gelato with espresso poured over the top).
Ricotta cake with diplomat cream and lemon curd
“We wanted food and drinks that were the best price and quality,” Feeley says. “We really try to focus on the best value possible for our guests.” The curated wine list features Italian classics from Piedmont, Lombardy and Tuscany, as well as options from around the world, and all bottles are under $100.
The front table, separated from the dining room by the bar, seats eight people and is the perfect spot for a semi-private dining experience.
Malfi Enoteca • 3410 S. Peoria Ave., Suite 200
malfienoteca.com • 918-236-7245
11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.,
Monday-Thursday and Sunday;
11:45 a.m.-10:30 p.m.,
Friday and Saturday
Dining and Cooking