The dire sense of pending doom in 2026 for the hospitality industry can certainly feel like an unseen weight. But perhaps no story is more uplifting and cheer-inducing than Massimo’s Naples, which will open its doors to the public on Wednesday, Feb. 4.
Led by the much-loved (and much-missed) former leader of Michael’s on Naples, Massimo Aronne, the space sits directly next to the former restaurant he led to success. That juxtaposition is, amusingly, ironic. Of course, the abrupt closure of Michael’s on Naples—led not by a lack of patronage but by a sale to the massive restaurant group Kronfli Bros. for another Bacari location—was felt most not for the idea of the restaurant but by its people, who represented it. And that included Massimo and Chef Eric Samaniego in particular.
Massimo had considered many things. One included a nine-room bed-and-breakfast—”The ultimate in hospitality,” he noted—on the coast of Italy. Another included possibly taking over another space in Long Beach. Come Thanksgiving, he had his answer on his future route: taking over the former Michael’s Market space he himself managed.
Amid stellar plates of octopus and potatoes lined with Castelvetrano olives and garlic confit… Thinly sliced rounds of eggplant roasted until caramelized and layered with bits of salty, house-made mozzarella and bright tomato sauce… Wonderful pizzas that span classic red sauce-lined pies to pesto-drenched rounds and white pizzas… Wines—oh, such a gorgeous array of Italian wines—that span from Grillo and Fiano to Etna Rosso and blends from Verbicaro… Massimo’s Naples is a space dedicated to classic Italian hospitality.
Massimo’s Naples is truly an extension of the man himself—and something Long Beach will dearly love.
Stepping into the space—an elongated, twenty-something-seat space adorned by grey with little explosions of color; a reflection of spaces in Italy itself—there is a sense of nostalgia. And it can be quite literal reflections more than déjà vu: As it turns out, the Kronfli Bros. group wanted none of the remains of Michael’s on Naples. Not the chairs. Not the tables. Or the stemware and cutlery. Plates and chandeliers. Or… So Massimo happily took them on.
“We smoothed out the marble tables, brightened up the chandeliers, fixed the booths,” Massimo said. “I installed the soundproofing wall [that lines the restaurant’s west-facing wall]. The woodfire oven here before was, unfortunately, damaged beyond repair—so that wasn’t salvageable. But luckily I connected with Giuseppe [Crisa].”
Giuseppe runs Forno Classico, a handmade-woodfire oven company based in Santa Barbara. The oven at Massimo’s Naples? It was built by hand in a month and installed earlier this year. And, fun fact: It is exactly like the one Jimmy Kimmel had built by Giuseppe for his backyard, albeit much smaller.
Perhaps the most smile-inducing part of the whole operation? The people who are working that oven and that space.
The hesitation with naming a restaurant after one’s self will forever be an essential part of the story behind Massimo’s.
Massimo is quite clear on one thing: He is still uncomfortable with a space named after himself. The always-egoless Massimo, however, couldn’t fight off his wife, his staff, or his patrons’ insistence that “Massimo’s” is not only appropriate but outright essential as the restaurant’s headliner. After all, it is Massimo in the kitchen himself—that’s the reason there is the starch-on-starch pasta e patate, where torciglioni caserecci, smoked mozzarella, and potato are oven-baked for one of the heartiest, warming dishes on the menu—prepping everything. Yet, he still has a hesitation.
However, I (and, as I am sure, many patrons also) pointed out is the fact that Massimo’s Naples is entirely a reflection of his work in hospitality.
At the helm of the Forno Classic woodfire oven is none other than pizzaiolo Julio Van Schuerbeck—the man behind the pizzas at Michael’s on Naples—slinging out pizzas as if he had never put a pause on it. And if you’re lucky, there’s a table directly in front of his workspace, where the gregarious pizzaiolo will chide you into soliciting nothing but praise upon the food and space.
Each server. The busser. The kitchen staff. All are hand-picked by Massimo and invited into the space, some even leaving jobs they found post-Michael’s to return to work for the man they respect and, as it is obvious, very much adore. There is no better term—considering the menu, considering the wine list, considering the people taking care of you—than “Massimo’s” for this space.
A look at some of the offerings at Massimo’s Naples.
Clean. Traditional. Seasonal. Massimo’s Naples is no-fuss, well-made, classic Italian food incorporating everything from Massimo’s childhood in Liguria to his time at Michael’s on Naples.
Polipo e patate: octopus | potatoes | Castelvetrano olives | lemon | confit garlic | extra virgin olive oil
Prosciutto, burrata e pere: Parma prosciutto | burrata | brûlée pear
Crudo: raw hamachi | blood orange | orange | arugula
Zucca al forno: oven-fried roasted butternut squash | mascarpone | brown butter | sage | toasted seeds
Melanzane alla parmigiana: eggplant baked with mozzarella | tomato sauce
Barbabietole: golden roasted beets | pistachios | frisée | watermelon radish | ricotta salata | champagne dressing
Pasta e patate: torciglioni pasta | potatoes | smoked mozzarella
Caprino e carciofi (under Pizza Verdi): pesto | artichokes | fingerling potatoes | goat cheese | house-made mozzarella
Cannoli: chocolate | candied orange | mascarpone
Tiramisu: Ladyfingers | espresso | mascarpone | cocoa powder
Massimo’s Naples is located at 5616 E. 2nd St.
