<a target="_blank" href="http://www.marea-nyc.com/">Marea</a>

240
Central Park South

New
York, NY 10019

Tel.
+1 (212) 582-5100

This was my second great lunch at
Marea within the last few weeks. Michael White was not in the restaurant, but
it didn’t matter one bit, the food and service were just spectacular as they
always are.

Is there a better way to start
lunch than with Cedric Bouchard’s 2006
Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblée and a dozen oysters? I doubt it. The wine
was absolutely beautiful, even a touch reserved, but the trademark Bouchard
elegance was on full display. Bouchard’s Champagnes remain some of my very
favorite wines on the planet. This bottle was stunning.

My tuna tartare was absolutely
beautiful. The little details executed perfectly, along with a good dose of
southern Italian sunshine elevated this dish beyond the standardized versions
one finds elsewhere. The razor clams were even better. The broth, with its
scents of saffron, basil and fennel, was bold, lusty and full of Mediterranean
character. I loved it. Anselme Selosse’s
NV Substance was a different beast altogether next to the Bouchard. The
intense, almost orange color gave a good indication of the aromatic and flavor
profile that would follow. Substance is Selosse’s original solera-style Champagne. It typically shows quite a bit of tertiary
complexity when released. This 2008 disgorgement naturally revealed even more
nuance in that direction while never abandoning its essential minerality. It
was a fabulous wine that continued to grow in the glass.

Luigi Moio’s Quintodecimo wines are some of Italy’s most sought after cult
bottles. The 2009 Greco di Tufo Giallo
d’Arles pushes the boundaries of what is possible with this great
indigenous variety. Initially quite honeyed and textured, the wine gained focus
and varietal definition in the glass. It was a showstopper from the very first
taste. Marea’s fusilli with braised octopus and bone marrow was fabulous, as it
always is. The lusty, full-bodied flavors worked beautifully with the richness
of the wine. I stole a taste (or two!) of my wife’s semolina pasta with crab,
Santa Barbara sea urchin and basil. It took an extraordinary amount of
restraint not to order a portion for myself. The wild sea bass was excellent,
even if it didn’t thrill me the way some of the other dishes did on this day.

I am not much of a dessert eater,
but my chocolate crostata was truly stellar, as were the other sweets I sample
across our table. Readers who have a chance to eat at Marea should not miss it.
Both of my recent visits more than live up to the praise the restaurant has
received.

Food:

Oysters 

Bigeye tuna tartare; preserved
lemon, radicchio, potato crisp, capers, watercress

Steamed razor clams; heirloom
tomato, fennel, sa­ffron, basil

Fusilli with red wine braised
octopus, bone marrow<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1378349905233-MareaOct2011Cover.jpg"> 

Fresh cut semolina pasta; crab,
Santa Barbara sea urchin, basil

Wild striped bass; roasted
cauliflower, charred scallions, marble potatoes, pear salmoriglio

Crostata di Cioccolato; milk
chocolate ganache, amaretto cream coffee gelato

Wine: 

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 NV (2006) Roses de Jeanne-Cedric
 Bouchard Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblée
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 NV &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Selosse Substance (disgorged 12/04/08)
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2009&nbsp;&nbsp; Quintodecimo Greco di Tufo Giallo d’Arle
 </td>
 <td>
 94</td></tr></tbody></table>

-- Antonio Galloni

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