Tiny Urban Kitchen

Exploring Food from Boston to Hong Kong and Beyond

  • About
    • About Me
    • Tiny Urban Kitchen’s Favorite Equipment
    • Press
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Asian
      • Chinese
      • Taiwanese
      • Thai
      • Malaysian
      • Japanese
      • Korean
    • Appetizers
    • Soups
    • Salad
    • Pasta
    • Noodles
    • Rice
    • Vegetarian
    • Meat
    • Sweets
      • Baking
      • Ice cream
      • Cookies
    • Misc
    • Kawaii (Cute)
  • Travel / Restaurants
    • United States
      • Boston
        • Jen’s Picks
        • Boston
          • Allston
          • Back Bay
          • Brighton
          • North End
          • South End
        • Cambridge
          • Kendall Square
          • Inman Square
          • Central Square
          • Harvard Square
          • Porter Square
          • North Cambridge
        • Somerville
          • Davis Square
          • Union Square
        • Greater Boston
          • Brookline
          • Arlington
          • Belmont
          • Watertown
          • Newton
          • Lexington
          • Concord
          • Burlington
          • Natick
        • Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Berkshires
      • Vermont
      • Maine
      • New York
      • Washington DC
      • Philadelphia
      • Orlando
      • Chicago
      • Las Vegas
      • California
        • Los Angeles
        • San Francisco
        • Napa
        • Sonoma
      • Seattle
      • Hawaii
    • Canada
      • Montreal
      • Canadian Rockies
      • Toronto
    • Argentina
    • Europe
      • United Kingdom
        • London
        • Oxford
      • Italy
        • Rome
        • Piedmont
      • France
        • Paris
        • Bordeaux
      • Spain
        • Madrid
        • Barcelona
        • Catalonia / San Sebastian / Girona
      • Germany
      • Belgium
        • Brussels
      • Switzerland
      • Greece
      • Finland
      • Norway
      • Denmark
    • Japan
      • Japan Guide
      • Tokyo
      • Osaka
      • Kyoto
    • China (Mainland)
      • Beijing
      • Chengdu
      • Shanghai
      • Shaanxi
      • Shenzhen
      • Xiamen
      • Yunnan
    • Singapore
    • Hong Kong
    • Malaysia
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Australia/New Zealand
  • Michelin
    • Formerly had a star
    • Michelin Recommended
    • 1 Star
    • 2 Stars
    • 3 Stars
  • Jen’s Eating Guides!
    • Boston Restaurants
    • Boston Dishes
    • Tokyo
    • Hong Kong
    • Las Vegas
    • Napa / Sonoma
    • Taiwan (night markets)
    • Taiwanese (casual eats)
    • Street Foods of Bangkok (Part I)
    • Street Foods of Bangkok (Part II)
    • Kitchen Equipment
  • Trip Reports
    • All trip reports
    • Around the World Trip Report
    • New England
    • New York
    • Washington DC
    • Las Vegas
    • California
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Florida
    • Japan
    • China

Marea

August 16, 2010 by Jennifer Che 10 Comments

Marea Uni
Just imagine.

A warm toast topped with fresh, creamy sea urchin, thin buttery sheets of lardo, and sprinkled with a tiny bit of sea salt. Perfection on a plate? Just nearly.

Welcome to Marea, Chef Michael White’s latest venture in New York City. Opened in the spring of 2009, Marea focuses on Italian seafood and already boasts one Michelin Star, 3 Stars from the New York Times, and countless other accolades. Of course White is no stranger to Michelin stars, having received three other stars (total) for his other two Italian restaurants this past year – two stars for Alto and one star for Convivio.

I had a business trip in New Jersey a few weeks back. I took the opportunity to stop by New York (which was on the way) to enjoy a fun dinner at Marea with other New York food bloggers. It was great – we ordered a bunch of different things, tried each others’ dishes, and of course, snapped tons of photos of the entire experience.

High Low Food Drink Talida Bakes
High Low Food Drink and Talida Bakes

We were so fortunate to be able to book the private dining room (free of charge!).  Typically there is a $1600 minimum dining charge for use of the room (which fits up to 14 people), but they were kind enough to waive it for us on a Monday evening. Moral of the story: it never hurts to call and ask.

This was great, as it gave us the freedom to get up and take pictures at our leisure without bothering other people in the restaurant!
_1040503
Fresh Local and Best
We had lots of random fun just snapping pictures of each other!

Marea Amuse Bouche
Grilled Peach with crushed Pistachios and a savory melon soup
We started with a lovely amuse bouche that consisted of just a simple grilled peach topped with crushed pistachios on top of a savory melon soup. A great start – light yet flavorful.

Marea Crudo
I knew that Marea had a huge selection of crudos, which I really wanted to try. Crudo is an Italian or Spanish term that means raw. In Italian cuisine, crudo typically refers to raw fish simply dressed with olive oil, sea salt, and a splash of an acidic juice, such as lemon, orange, or vinegar. Italians have enjoyed crudo for ages, but it really did not catch on in the US until Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich popularized it in their Midtown restaurant, Esca.

At Marea, you can order a tasting of three different crudos for $25. I couldn’t decide between all the excellent choices, so I actually decided to forgo a heavy meat course and instead order an appetizer, a pasta dish, and two crudo tastings (woo hoo! 6 different crudos!). The tasting portion sizes are about half as big as the individual a la carte crudo sizes. 

Marea Crudo
VONGOLE geoduck clam, fresh chilies, lemon, hearts of palm
I had never had geoduck before (prounced gooey-duck), although I heard quite a lot about it from last season’s Top Chef Masters (where Jody Adams had to cook it on the “exotic meats” episode). This long, phallic looking sea creature looks scary in a tank, but much more approachable on a plate. In terms of flavor? It was . . . interesting. More than one of us described it as tasting “very much like the sea.” I think fishy might be too strong of a word to use, but it’s definitely an acquired taste. Chubby Chinese Girl absolutely loves the flavor, but Talida Bakes and I weren’t sure if we were new fans or not!
Marea Crudo
I actually can’t quite remember which crudo this was -some kind of white fish that did not really make a strong impression on me. It fresh and it tasted fine, but nothing extraordinary.
Marea Crudo
LANCIA hawaiian blue marlin, sturgeon caviar, mussel vinaigrette
This marlin was very nice, with the caviar adding a nice, salty kick to the crudo.
Marea Crudo
SCAMPI pacific langoustines, murray river pink salt
By far my favorite out of the first three, this langoustine tasted surprisingly sweet and delicate. It reminded me very much of the amazing langoustine I had in Boston, though this was one step better because it was raw. I would definitely order this again.
Marea Crudo
SEPPIA cuttlefish tagliatelle, sorito crudo, bottarga di muggine
Marea Crudo
ASTICE nova scotia lobster, sun dried tomatoes, olives, plum
Marea Crudo
TONNO bigeye tuna, oyster crema, crispy artichokes
I loved the crunch of the crispy artichokes and how they contrasted the tuna.
Marea Octopus Fusilli
FUSILLI red wine braised octopus, bone marrow
One of the restaurant’s signature dishes, this beautiful fusilli is tossed with a sauce of braised octupus and finished with bone marrow. How do you make this? First you braise baby octopus from Spain in a San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, and basil based sauce for an hour and a half. Then you sauté thyme and garlic seasoned bone marrow and add it to the tomatoes, creating a velvety thick sauce that works beautifully with the pasta. Definitely worth ordering!
Marea grilled octupus
POLIPO grilled octopus, smoked potatoes, pickled red onion, chilies, tonnato
This grilled octopus was also fantastic. Several people at the table mentioned it was literally the best octopus they had ever had. I think it’s on par with the best octopus I’ve ever had. I would highly recommend this dish as well.
Marea sea urchin spaghetti
SPAGHETTI crab, santa barbara sea urchin, basil
It’s true what they say – Michael White is amazing when it comes to pasta, and I would highly recommend trying any of the various pastas on his menu. If you like uni (sea urchin), definitely try out this wonderfully creamy dish. His homemade pastas have amazing texture, and the sauces are also really really good.
Marea Agnolotti
AGNOLOTTI veal ravioli, sweetbreads, funghi
Marea halibut
IPPOGLOSSO alaskan halibut alla piastra, cippolini agrodolce, morels, spring peas, parmigiano
Marea Dessert
GIANDUJA cocoa nib crema, hazelnut chocolate, fior di latte gelato
Marea Dessert
SEMOLINA TART, poached local cherries, honey custard brachetto sorbet
Marea Dessert
POLENTA FRITA, blackberry compote, mascarpone ice cream.
Marea Dessert
Biscotti
We received a few complimentary after-dinner sweets,such as biscotti and chocolates.

Marea chocolates
Marea chocolates

Final Thoughts
I had a fantastic time at Marea. Of course, a lot of this was because of the excellent company I had. They did mess up our order a bit, and in retrospect, the service may have been considered a bit slow. Nevertheless, the food is overall fantastic, even if it’s on the pricey side.

I had read that the pastas and the appetizers were the stars of the menu, and that the main courses were hit-or-miss (or just ordinary). As a result, I personally chose to pass on the main courses and instead load up on crudos, appetizers, and pastas (I ordered two 3-course crudo tastings, the grilled octopus appetizer, and the uni pasta dish plus a dessert).  You could go with the 4-course tasting menu ($89), which includes a crudo, an appetizer, a pasta, and a main dish. Our final bill came out to be $126/per person including tax and tip. We each enjoyed one glass of wine, and about half of us got dessert and coffee or tea.

If you do come, I would definitely recommend ordering the Ricci (sea urchin, lardo, and sea salt toast), a tasting of crudos (definitely get the langoustine, bigeye tuna, and another one, maybe the geoduck if you dare!), the grilled octopus, and definitely some of the pasta dishes. My favorites? The fusilli with red wine braised octopus and bone marrow or the spaghetti with crab, santa barbara sea urchin, and basil. Seriously though, you probably can’t go wrong on any of the pasta dishes!

All in all, definitely a place worth visiting. We had a fantastic time there and would definitely go back to re-sample some of our favorite dishes.

Chubby Chinese Girl Fresh Local Best
Chubby Chinese Girl and Fresh Local & Best
High Low Food Drink
High Low Food Drink
Talida Bakes
Talida Bakes and Tim

Marea
240 Central Park South
New York, NY 10021
Marea on Urbanspoon

©2009-2014 Tiny Urban Kitchen
All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Michelin, Michelin2, New York, Restaurant, Review, World Travel Tagged With: Italian, Seafood

« Tiny Urban Tidbits #14
Rialto (the Bar) »

Recent Posts

  • La Dame de Pic – Paris France June 27, 2022
  • Pertinence Paris France June 25, 2022
  • Napa Valley Trip Report June 10, 2022
  • 36 Hour Stopover in London May 29, 2022
  • A Day Trip to Antwerp, Belgium May 28, 2022
  • Arbor Hong Kong May 25, 2022
  • Mono Hong Kong May 23, 2022
  • Summer Palace Iconic Wine Lunch – Hong Kong April 29, 2022

Latest Chinese recipes!

Comments

  1. Scandifoodie says

    August 16, 2010 at 2:50 am

    Wow the dishes look incredibly creative! Beautiful shots!

    Log in to Reply
  2. Bianca says

    August 16, 2010 at 9:32 am

    I was in NY this past weekend and wanted to go to Marea but we didn’t have any reservations and decided to save it for another trip. I would LOVE to try the uni toast and the uni pasta! Your photos are fabulous.

    Log in to Reply
  3. talida says

    August 16, 2010 at 11:09 am

    Great write up, Jen! It was a spectacular dinner, and I’m so glad we got to go together. The company definitely enhanced the overall experience. 🙂

    Log in to Reply
  4. justcooknyc says

    August 16, 2010 at 1:35 pm

    Maraea is definitely one of my favorites

    Log in to Reply
  5. Andrea @ High/Low says

    August 16, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    Had a wonderful time! Thanks for making the resy!!

    Log in to Reply
  6. ZenChef says

    August 16, 2010 at 9:42 pm

    What a fabulous dinner! Marea is on my short list of restaurant to try in NY. Thanks for the insider look. It makes me want to go even more!

    Log in to Reply
  7. christinefreshlocalandbest says

    August 16, 2010 at 9:53 pm

    I feared writing this post because of all the dishes – until reading yours. You’ve done such a great job at highlighting the stellar dishes of the evening, and mentioning some areas for improvement. I agree the housemade pasta dishes were the most memorable dishes of the evening. I still remember how good the bone marrow fusili was. All of this great food was only superseded by the wonderful company. It was so much fun to run around from plate to plate and snap photos. LOL!

    Log in to Reply
  8. Carolyn Jung says

    August 17, 2010 at 11:52 pm

    I am so envious! I so want to go there. Ahh, guess I’ll have to wait for my next trip to NY to swoon over that bone marrow pasta. That trip can’t come soon enough, let me tell ya! 😉

    Log in to Reply
  9. Delmechan says

    November 11, 2010 at 5:58 am

    amazing,..!!

    Log in to Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Reflections on a Decade of Blogging: Happy Birthday Tiny Urban Kitchen! - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
    October 1, 2019 at 8:35 pm

    […] going Japanese grocery shopping with Marc from No Recipes, and visiting Eleven Madison Park and Marea in NYC with Andrea from High Look Food Drink, Cindy from Chubby Chinese Girl, Christine from Fresh, […]

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Welcome to Tiny Urban Kitchen!

JenChe

Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am a Boston to Hong Kong transplant, born and raised in Ohio with parents from Taiwan. Feel free to head on over to the About page if you want to learn more about me, or just explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Categories

Awards

Saveur
PFB

BostonGlobe

Most Recent Posts

chocolate

La Dame de Pic – Paris France

en croute

Pertinence Paris France

Napa Valley Trip Report

36 Hour Stopover in London

A Day Trip to Antwerp, Belgium

Arbor Hong Kong

Arbor Hong Kong

Mono HK

Mono Hong Kong

Summer Palace Hong Kong Iconic Wine Lunch

Summer Palace Iconic Wine Lunch – Hong Kong

Lucciola The Hari Wan Chai

Lucciola – Italian food at The Hari Hotel in Wan Chai

beef quesadilla

Studio City by Cali-Mex Causeway Bay Hong Kong

France!

Restaurant Le George Paris
Yam'Tcha Paris
David Toutain Paris
Divellec Paris
Breizh Cafe Paris

Kawaii! (Cute)

Norway!

logo
Food Advertisements by

Chinese Recipes

Okra with Chicken
logo
Food Advertisements by

Shop & Support us!

Spain!

Girona Spain
Amelia San Sebastian

Japan!

Bulgari Il Ristorante Luca Fantin
Sukiyaki Imafuku Tokyo
Sushi Ishimaya Tokyo
Disney Sea Tokyo
Tempura Fukamachi Tokyo
Shinjuku Gyoen

Cambridge restaurants

logo
Food Advertisements by
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress