Marea, Michael White Seafood on the Park

[oakapple]

Although Marea was supposed to be Michael White's shot a four-star place, I don't think it approaches that. You can have three-star food here if you order well and if the kitchen doesn't fall into a funk. But of course, it should not be that way.

you should never have to "order well" to get three star food...

Oh, I totally agree, and I hope you didn't interpret me to be saying otherwise.

However, there is a meaningful distinction between a restaurant with high ambitions that achieves them intermittently, and one that simply doesn't have those ambitions at all. I would hasten to add that there are many things about Marea that I enjoy (why else would I have been there four times?) -- I am not yet persuaded that it's a three-star restaurant.

[Ochowie]

you should never have to "order well" to get three star food... what ever you order should be up to standards, or it's not three star... btw risotto was crunchy, why does everyone need to taste it, it wasn't done right so cook it correctly, simple solution, no need for a panel to determine whether it was cooked right, the table thought it wasn't, and thats all that matters!

You know, I didn't want to get into it with the waiter (as I've been known to) and ruin an otherwise nice evening but really this is how I felt as well. No offense to the chef, we paid well over $100 per person last night and at those prices "that's how we make our risotto here" is just not a valid answer. The only thing that really stopped me from getting angry is the understanding (is this true?) that it's not really possible to redo the risotto if it's undercooked.

[oakapple]

The only thing that really stopped me from getting angry is the understanding (is this true?) that it's not really possible to redo the risotto if it's undercooked.

I think what you mean is that it cannot be fixed without just starting over again. Of course, given their attitude that it had already been done correctly, chances are you'd get the same result.

The problem is that risottos generally take about 20 minutes to prepare. So there you are, with everyone else at the table already served. You have to watch them eat, and 20 minutes later they'll watch you eat. That's the problem when just one person sends back a dish (even when it's not a risotto), and the reason why most people don't do it.

I once had a service issue like that at Gramercy Tavern, and the manager said, "If that ever happened again, I would re-cook everyone's pasta. But there are very few places that will do that.

[Mussina]

Had lunch here yesterday and it was outstanding. I am still thinking about a couple of the dishes. Started with the lobster and burrata (you cannot go wrong with this) and the calamari stuffed with spaghetti squash (simply terrific). Followed by a couple of pastas - the octopus and bone marrow is haunting me still and the uni spaghetti (the only dish that failed to delight - I love urchin and it was not evident enough in this dish for my taste but it was still very nice). Ended with the skate and sea bass. Both were perfectly prepared and the flavors were spot on. Finished with a zucchini dessert which I did not have room for. The bread was also really first rate. We did the two courses plus one add on and I found the portions to be more than enough food. I actually would probably only do two courses next time. I had apprehensions about this meal given the previous comments (and the fact that it is so close to Jean-Georges and, being a creature of habit and a lover of all things J-G, I kept returning my favorite lunch spot rather than trying something new but it was seriously memorable. We had dinner at ko last night (also terrific) but I must confess that the octopus and bone marrow pasta is what I keep replaying in my mind. I am sorry to hear that it doesn't seem to deliver all the time because it was a sensational experience.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Mussina (log)

[Ochowie]

Had lunch here yesterday and it was outstanding. I am still thinking about a couple of the dishes. Started with the lobster and burrata (you cannot go wrong with this) and the calamari stuffed with spaghetti squash (simply terrific). Followed by a couple of pastas - the octopus and bone marrow is haunting me still and the uni spaghetti (the only dish that failed to delight - I love urchin and it was not evident enough in this dish for my taste but it was still very nice). Ended with the skate and sea bass. Both were perfectly prepared and the flavors were spot on. Finished with a zucchini dessert which I did not have room for. The bread was also really first rate. We did the two courses plus one add on and I found the portions to be more than enough food. I actually would probably only do two courses next time. I had apprehensions about this meal given the previous comments (and the fact that it is so close to Jean-Georges and, being a creature of habit and a lover of all things J-G, I kept returning my favorite lunch spot rather than trying something new but it was seriously memorable. We had dinner at ko last night (also terrific) but I must confess that the octopus and bone marrow pasta is what I keep replaying in my mind. I am sorry to hear that it doesn't seem to deliver all the time because it was a sensational experience.

I have to say despite any problems I had at Marea, the lobster and burrata was really terrific. Two of my favorite items together in one dish.

[GlorifiedRice]

So has anyone made the Octopus Marrow Fusilli dish successfully at home?

If so, care to share?