Marra's
1 School St. Glen Cove, NY 516-609-3335
BRIGHT, INFORMAL and inexpensive, Marra's in Glen Cove was crowded from day one. Understandably so. The bi-level eatery, with an outdoor dining patio, offers a simple menu of fresh, adroitly prepared salads, pizzas, pastas and panini, all priced under $10. Think of it as an ideal spot for a midweek meal or for more-than-a-bite before or after the movies.
A fine-dining restaurant, however, it is not. Servers, while affable enough, are inexperienced and somewhat inefficient. Although you may find yourself reminding your waiter about one or two dishes he forgot to bring, you will ultimately get what you've ordered.
Make sure one of those items is a puffy, crusty pizza, great for sharing. We were impressed with the savory pizza campagnola, topped with sweet sausage and yellow and red peppers. Sausage dumplings, an unusual and delicious appetizer, were reminiscent of Chinese wonton; they came on a bed of garlicky broccoli rabe. Smoky grilled portobello mushrooms with baby greens were dressed with a mellow balsamic vinaigrette. Messy but good, the espresso wings, glazed with an interesting espresso and cinnamon-spiked barbecue sauce, tasted much better than the menu description indicated. From the panini section of the menu, we sampled the "Falerna" sandwich, grilled chicken, prosciutto, mozzarella, pesto and roasted peppers; a definite winner.
Salads make for satisfying entrees in warmer weather. We found the chopped salad with grilled chicken, peppers, prosciutto and artichoke hearts to be full of color and flavor. A swell sesame-crusted ahi tuna steak over baby organic greens with Asian dressing arrived rare, as ordered. And how often does one get a skillfully executed Asian- style dish in an Italian restaurant?
A letdown, however, was the gnocchi pesto, the heavy semolina dumplings awash in a gloppy basil cream sauce. Sun-dried tomato penne with grilled chicken and broccoli in a garlic and oil sauce was better, although a bit oily. If you get only one pasta, make it the pappardelle Bolognese, starring house-made ribbon noodles in a luxuriant meat sauce topped with creamy ricotta. Fettucine Alfredo, properly al dente, was a respectable rendition of the classic. And capellini d'angelo with grilled shrimp, tomato, roasted garlic and basil, came off as a light and flavorsome diversion.
For dessert, we thought the peanut butter cake over-sweet and the tirami su oddly tough. Much more likable were the creamy cheesecake and fudgy chocolate mousse cake.
And how could anyone be anything but delighted with the check? Considering both the quality and quantity of food, it was surprisingly minimal.
No wonder it's hard to get a table at Marra's, where reservations aren't taken. Every town needs such a place.
Joan Reminick. STAFF WRITER
Reviewed 08-25-2000
Hours: Lunch, Monday to Friday; dinner daily. Accessibility: Yes
BRIGHT, INFORMAL and inexpensive, Marra's in Glen Cove was crowded from day one. Understandably so. The bi-level eatery, with an outdoor dining patio, offers a simple menu of fresh, adroitly prepared salads, pizzas, pastas and panini, all priced under $10. Think of it as an ideal spot for a midweek meal or for more-than-a-bite before or after the movies.
A fine-dining restaurant, however, it is not. Servers, while affable enough, are inexperienced and somewhat inefficient. Although you may find yourself reminding your waiter about one or two dishes he forgot to bring, you will ultimately get what you've ordered.
Make sure one of those items is a puffy, crusty pizza, great for sharing. We were impressed with the savory pizza campagnola, topped with sweet sausage and yellow and red peppers. Sausage dumplings, an unusual and delicious appetizer, were reminiscent of Chinese wonton; they came on a bed of garlicky broccoli rabe. Smoky grilled portobello mushrooms with baby greens were dressed with a mellow balsamic vinaigrette. Messy but good, the espresso wings, glazed with an interesting espresso and cinnamon-spiked barbecue sauce, tasted much better than the menu description indicated. From the panini section of the menu, we sampled the "Falerna" sandwich, grilled chicken, prosciutto, mozzarella, pesto and roasted peppers; a definite winner.
Salads make for satisfying entrees in warmer weather. We found the chopped salad with grilled chicken, peppers, prosciutto and artichoke hearts to be full of color and flavor. A swell sesame-crusted ahi tuna steak over baby organic greens with Asian dressing arrived rare, as ordered. And how often does one get a skillfully executed Asian- style dish in an Italian restaurant?
A letdown, however, was the gnocchi pesto, the heavy semolina dumplings awash in a gloppy basil cream sauce. Sun-dried tomato penne with grilled chicken and broccoli in a garlic and oil sauce was better, although a bit oily. If you get only one pasta, make it the pappardelle Bolognese, starring house-made ribbon noodles in a luxuriant meat sauce topped with creamy ricotta. Fettucine Alfredo, properly al dente, was a respectable rendition of the classic. And capellini d'angelo with grilled shrimp, tomato, roasted garlic and basil, came off as a light and flavorsome diversion.
For dessert, we thought the peanut butter cake over-sweet and the tirami su oddly tough. Much more likable were the creamy cheesecake and fudgy chocolate mousse cake.
And how could anyone be anything but delighted with the check? Considering both the quality and quantity of food, it was surprisingly minimal.
No wonder it's hard to get a table at Marra's, where reservations aren't taken. Every town needs such a place.
Joan Reminick. STAFF WRITER Reviewed 08-25-2000
