Food:
Lauren and I opted for the 4 course prix fixe which is actually a decent deal - for $99 you get an appetizer, a pasta dish, an entree, and a dessert. Trust me you leave very full.
As an appetizer, I chose Sgombro. Which you can faintly see in the above picture. It included yellowtail fish, gigante beans, olive, cara cara, persimmon, and herbs. It was excellent. The fish was cooked perfectly and it blended well with the sweet cara cara and the beans.
Lauren asked the waitress' opinion and was told to have the octopus or Polipo. This is a MUST HAVE. This octopus tasted like none I've ever had before. It was not rubbery or chewy at all but instead incredibly tender. It was absolutely delicious. The meal came with smoked potatoes, pickled red onions, radishes, chills, and tonnato.
Marea is well known for their pastas as they make their own in house. Lauren and I accidentally ordered the same one. We didn't know it until after we ordered. We both got the Strozzapretti which included jumbo lump crab, sea urchin, and basil. I wasn't overly impressed with this dish. The pasta was excellent, and well cooked. There was plenty of crab and sea urchin, though we couldn't really tell the difference. It just was not overwhelming.
Now for the main dish. Lauren and I both order the duck (Anatra), this time on purpose. Marea is known for their fish but the duck sounded too appetizing. The Anatra included long island duck breast, duck sausage, lentils, figs, roasted endive, and jus foie gras.
The duck like the octopus, was incredibly tender. We both had it medium rare, and it could not have been cooked better. The texture of the lentils went well with tender duck and sweet figs. By this time in the meal we were full (I left out the mouthwatering bread that we kept eating) and took some of it home. Dessert was coming and it is just unacceptable to not save room for that!
For dessert, I ordered a cappuccino and (with the recommendation of the waitress) the Strati di Ciocolato - dark chocolate crema, chocolate caramel, and pistachio gelato. I'm not a huge fan of pistachios but I decided to go with her recommendation. Lauren went with the Bombolini, which are basically doughnuts, or zeppoles. I was shocked she chose that after the filling meal we had just eaten. But, I've learned Lauren's ability to eat will always surprise me. For me, the pistachio gelato was tasty and the chocolate and caramel cake was a little rich but still very very good. However, the pairing didn't go that well to me. I tried to eat a little cake with a little gelato but it didn't mesh well. My cappuccino was underwhelming. I like a frothy foam that was curiously missing. Lauren's doughnuts came with melted chocolate (that looked like I could drink it and be very happy about that choice) and honey. I couldn't force myself to eat anymore, surprisingly, and did not get to try the Bombolini, but Lauren seemed to enjoy it.
Marea sent us home happy with a small plate of chocolates.
A caramel chocolate which was amazing, a pomegranate marshmallow which had nice texture, and a basil chocolate which apparently tasted a little too much like basil and thus after watching Lauren's reaction I did not eat.
**We each ordered a cocktail that was sufficient and a glass of red wine for the pasta and duck. Each went well with the food. Marea has a long marvelous wine list but sadly too expensive to purchase. They also have a $50 corkage fee per bottle for up to 2 bottles of wine, which I love! If you bring a nice bottle of wine, you can really save a lot of money on nice wine.
Service and Decor:
We had a very nice server who was from Chicago. She had some good recommendations and was friendly. The Maitre d was nice, but it took about 10 minutes after our reservation to have our table ready. The service was prompt and they gave what I felt was an appropriate amount of time between meals that allowed for conversation.
I would describe the dining area as elegant. The seating was comfortable and far enough from the next table that you didn't have to be worried about being overheard. This will sound like an oxymoron but it's a quiet room, yet has a lively setting. You could feel comfortable taking a date hear, or going out for a raucous night with some friends.
Overall:
The entire combination of the ambience, delectable food, good service made for a great night. Easily one of the best restaurant experiences I have ever had. The price was a good value for this type of high dining happening. I would rate Marea a 9.4 out of 10
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