Cucina 503 is an unassuming eatery tucked away in Petersburg Shoppes on Furys Ferry in Martinez. While there’s a sizable private dining area, it does not host elaborate events or play loud music. It barely even advertises.
“It’s all about the food,” said owner Edward Mendoza.
That concept has earned the Italian restaurant several accolades in its six years, including the Augusta Eats Local Award in 2016, presented by Augusta Locally Grown.
“We cook with what’s in season,” said Mendoza. “Canned tomatoes in an Italian restaurant are essential, right? But you don’t see any in December or January. So you don’t see any fresh tomato dishes here.”
Save for the bread, the dishes produced by the kitchen is made from scratch using meat, seafood and produce from local farmers. Fresh tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants are in fare served during summer; while in autumn the menu is more likely to feature dishes with parsnips, squash and pumpkin.
Mendoza has experience with farm to table cuisine, having once run Kitchen 1454 on Walton Way, which served breakfast and lunch. When he decided on expanding to dinner, he opened Finch & Fifth with Faulkner Warlick in 2013. Though a classically French-trained chef, Mendoza felt the time had come for a non-chain Italian dining establishment in the area, so he sold his half of Finch & Fifth.
Cucina 503 keeps it simple, from its quiet and relaxed ambience to the source of its name, which is the Italian word for “kitchen” along with its suite number. Mendoza notes that this is once again to maintain focus on the quality of the cuisine, and that he’d rather have people see Cucina as a place to enjoy fine dining regularly rather than as a place reserved for special occasions.
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“The food is much more elevated than the vibe,” said Mendoza. “Three times a week, you’ll probably find me running around in jeans and flip-flops. The servers dress very casual.”
Chicken and wild mushroom pappardelle is one of the more popular pasta dishes, though what’s preferred by patrons shifts with the seasonal menu. This particularly applies to the fresh fish dinners, Mendoza said, whether it’s Branzino, salmon or cod.
The crafted dishes with locally sourced ingredients are complemented by a wide variety of wine and spirits. Mendoza describes himself as a “whiskey and bourbon freak,” and Cucina offers over 60 whiskeys and bourbons. It also rotates wines, keeping about 12 to 14 reds to six to eight white wines, including some from France, Italy and Argentina.
Interior dining area at Cucina 503. Staff photo by Skyler Q. Andrews. 
Patio at Cucina 503. Taken from its Facebook page.
“I try to buy the ones that you can’t get at the grocery store, so that you can come here and try something different outside of what you can normally pick up,” he said.
Mendoza ultimately attribute’s Cucina’s success to two things: fine food made with quality ingredients, and a quiet, humble, devoted and close-knit staff to whom he is quick to give most of the credit.
“My guys have been with me a long time,” said Mendoza. “I’ve got guys in the kitchen who have been with me six or seven years. For an independent restaurant that’s a lot. We have a good chemistry. My guys are into what they do.”
Cucina 503 is at 502 Furys Ferry Rd. in Martinez. For more information visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cucina503augusta/.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
