Famous for his Italian fare and homemade pasta, Chef Michael White has created a restaurant empire in New York City that has been welcomed whole heartedly by this city’s serious diners. Marea, the flagship of his Altamarea restaurant group, on Central Park West is one of the top seafood and Italian restaurants in New York City. It has been a recipient of two Michelin stars for the past four years, a Three Star review from the NY Times, and one of the only few Relais & Châteaux certified dining establishments in the world. The praises in the culinary universe for Marea is immeasurable.
Opening in 2009 during the height of the recession when fine dining is said to be on respirators, it was the most ambitious and riskiest project of Chef White’s career. Fast forward to today, Marea is a busy restaurant and frequented by the New York City elite, moguls, and celebrities. On the weekend, the lounge in the front of the restaurant and its gold onyx bar is congested with patrons while more people are being ushered to the dining room way after 10 pm.
Housed in the old San Demonico space, this pescatarian haven is accessible through revolving doors where hostesses greet each guest with a friendly smile. After the welcoming festivities are over, guests are led to an elegant dining room where the tables are covered in white table cloths surrounded by lush chocolate leather seats and glossy rosewood flooring and walls. Sea shells are on display in the dining area and windows large enough to provide a back drop of Central Park. I couldn’t help but notice when I last visited Marea for dinner that hip-hop music was the choice of tunes in the restaurant. I never expected that.
The restaurant’s menu is significant and derived from the coast of Italy. A $99 four-course pri-fixe during dinner, where guests can design their own courses, is a brilliant way to get a taste of Chef White’s cooking. Between two people you can sample up to eight dishes.
All the dishes that I’ve had here were remarkable, beginning with the raw plates like the Tuna Tartare made with Blue Fin tuna, it was so fresh that it taste of the ocean was apparent. On the other hand The Dentice, or Pacific snapper, was cut thinly and given a citrusy touch. The seafood is fresh, as if it were caught from their natural habitat a few hours ago.
The antipasti dishes like the Polipo, octopus grilled to a nice texture and worked well with the pickled red onions. The Goberra Rosso is a large sautéed Mediterranean red prawn which was meaty and delicious. Next, I enjoyed the Nova Scotia lobster with Buratta cheese also known as Astice. A rule of thumb in the culinary world is to never mix seafood with cheese, but here, the Burratta and lobster were a perfect marriage making this an amazing dish.
Chef Michael White’s fresh pasta is just as advertised which is handmade daily in the restaurant. The Garganelli with crabs and sea urchin in a light sauce blended rightfully. Of course, you can’t come to this restaurant without having the Fusili pasta with braised octopus and bone marrow. This signature dish is raved about in the online community, along with the Astice, and I must say that I’m in agreement with what’s being said.
A variety of fish dishes, or main plates, are available to choose from. Ippogloso, or halibut, is a tender dish served with a salsa verde sauce which added moisture and additional flavor to the fish. Rombo, a dish highlighting a hearty fish called turbot. Turbot, similar to cod with its big flaky meat, holds together well but is very mild in flavor. It could easily get lost among strong herbs. The turbot was pan seared and accompanied by market green beans on a tangy lentil bean sauce. It seemed to get better and better as you continued to eat. The large sea scallops, Capesante, was also pan seared until just done and arranged on peaches, Chanterelle mushrooms, and garlic. These unique flavors added an additional layer of sweetness to the already tender, sweet scallops. Amazing!
The desserts are handled by Executive Pastry Chef Robert Truitt who was previously at Corton in Tribeca, also a two Michelin star restaurant. His desserts, like the Semifreddo Di Nocciola with hazelnut, chocolate, and mascarpone cheese and the Strati Di Cioccolato made with dark chocolate crema, salted caramel, and coffee crumble with gelato, as well as the Bamboloni , bite-sized round donuts with a side of dipping chocolate and spiced honey leaves a lasting impression after a fantastic meal at Marea.
Their wine list is massive and can become overwhelming as you flip through the many pages. Dominated by different regions of Italy, there are bottles that are priced as low as thirty dollars to as high as five figures. If opting for the dinner pri-fixe, have it paired with wine for a manageable $55 as a recommendation.
The service is professional and relaxed, engaging and not overly intrusive. Exactly what’s expected in a restaurant of this caliber.
Not only did Marea survive the worst recession to ever hit the globe, it also collected numerous accolades along the way. The consistency in providing New York City diners with the freshest seafood available and properly executing every plate that is put in front of their guests has made Marea one of the top restaurants in New York City.
Marea
240 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
(212) 582-5100
Official Website
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