Seafood on Sunday

It has been a while since I had the privledge of eating a great, new restaurant in New York City. Finally, on Sunday night, myself and two friends went to Marea, the new restaurant by Michael White (Alto, Convivio). Marea is Italian-inspired like Alto and Convivio, but definitely bent toward creatures of the sea.

The space did not seem like it had a huge makeover since the restaurant's previous tenant: San Domenico. The room is comfortable and warm with a more mature crowd (this was Columbus Circle, not Washington Square after all). We were seated promptly and perused the (too) extensive menu and decided the best way to experience it was a reasonable $89 prix fix menu that hit the main areas of the menu (antipasti / crudo, pasta, main, dessert). The menu was plentiful in lobster and octopus, which garnered no complaints from anyone.

I opted to start with the lobster and burrata. A sucker for lobster and for any cheese, this was a match made in heaven for me and was executed perfectly. The lobster was tender and delicate and not stringy in anyway. The burrata soft and creamy--an interesting contrast to the crustacean. An impressive first start to the show. My only quip with this dish was that it seemed more apropos for a summertime meal, rather than a mid-autumn's supper.

Up next was the pasta course. A slight aside, I have never been a huge pasta lover despite my Italian heritage, though I do enjoy a great pasta course when it's done right. I opted for the fusili with octopus and bone marrow. It was in a spicy, tomato sauce that sometimes had a little to much heat for my palate. The fusili was chewy--I'm on the fence about whether this inhibited or amplified the dish. It was hard for me to taste the marrow. My friend who ordered it as well had similar comments on it: good, not great. I have to admit, I was a tad envious of my other dining mate who ordered lobster ravioli (always a great call)--though it was described as being very heavy, in a good way.

Main courses rolled out soon thereafter (the restaurant had great pacing, btw). The branzino was great: tender and moist. I wish there could have been a little more flavor to the actual fish but it was surrounded by sides that more than compesnated. It came with pancetta--which you can never go wrong with (I would have preferred mine slightly crispier) and brussel sprouts. It was a pleasing course that left me satisfied but not stuffed. However, I would not consider it revelatory--especially because I had something similar at Alto a few months prior.

Oddly enough, my taste for dessert has virtually dried up over the past few months. But off we went to the final course. I asked the server for her recommendation and she immediately chimed back with the Polenta (which was not something I had even considered) but I went with it anyway. She was spot on with this choice. This dessert was inspired. The crispy polenta reminded me of a high-end doughnut / fried dough / funnel cake and it had a rich marscapone ice cream that really just made the dish even better. My friend got an affogato, which she had been talking about since dining at Convivio over the summer which was also amazing (think an amazing rich and delicious iced coffee).

So, the final verdict on Marea. Glad I went and tried it. The food was great but not some place I'd rush back to given the variety of other places in New York. It's an ideal place to take the parents (or have the parents take you) and is a nice addition to the city's fine dining scene.