Marlena — a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant by Robert Smith, formerly of Pizza Antica — will make its way to the now-defunct Russo’s space at 5854 E. Naples Plaza.
For 25 years, Smith served as Director of Operations at Pizza Antica under Bacchus Restaurant Group in San Francisco.
Now, the CSULB alumn will bring those decades of hospitality experience to Naples with a concept primed to energize the long-vacant space.
Marlena will “focus on wood-fired food during nightly service while offering pastries, coffees, and simple food during the daytime hours,” says LBIZE.
The opening of the new eatery comes four years after the Italian restaurant Russo’s shuttered its doors. Russo’s had served the city for over 30 years.
Its absence left a culinary void in an already lethargic part of the city, with Russo’s stooped & lonely stature nearly begging for new life.
“We have returned [from San Francisco] to be closer to family,” Smith says, “but I have leased this restaurant space because I love the Naples neighborhood.”
Ahead of the restaurant’s opening, What Now Los Angeles caught up with Smith to hear more about the incoming operation:
WNLA: What are your hopes for Marlena?
RS: Our hopes are to bring the type of rustic, Mediterranean-inspired food I love from my own restaurant experience and traveling in Europe and Northern California.
My inspirations come from working at Lulu in San Francisco and eating at places like Chez Panisse, Zuni Cafe, Pizzaiolo, and more.
WNLA: What is a menu item or items you’re most excited to offer?
RS: Pizza! We have worked directly with Italian specialty flour millers to develop a blend that will be unique, yet rooted in the traditional Napolitana-style pizza. The pizza Margherita is always the one that best reflects the best quality ingredients in my opinion.
WNLA: Why do you think Marlena will thrive in Naples?
RS: Marlena will thrive in Naples because Naples is a tight-knit community of people who love food and travel.
I have friends who have businesses in Naples and everyone has gone out of their way to show enormous support and a genuine sense of welcome.
WNLA: Will Marlena be a traditional Mediterranean concept or Mediterranean with a twist?
RS: Marlena is very much a Californian restaurant anchored around the bountiful produce we have locally. The inspiration for our menu comes from Mediterranean cooking primarily around Italy, Spain, and southern France.
My wife and I both studied languages at CSULB and studied abroad. Jen studied on the Mediterranean coast in the south of France and I studied in Spain as well as Germany. I love the name Marlena because it does not pin us down to a specific cuisine and we can pull from recipes and cooking methods from various areas.
We are installing a charcoal grill from Spain made by the company Josper which will create incredible flavors, and the wood-fired pizza oven is from Italy and assembled in Healdsburg.
WNLA: Pending Marlena’s success, do you hope to open more locales?
RS: I have been running multiple restaurants for years but my only goal right now is to open and operate Marlena and make it a great addition to Long Beach’s dining scene.
