Marea is a Fred Bollaci Enterprises Preferred Dining Destination, featuring outstanding cuisine and impeccable service. Chef and Co-Owner Michael White’s Altamarea Group of restaurants are all Fred Bollaci Enterprises Preferred Dining Destinations.
I had the absolute pleasure of dining today at Marea, Chef/Owner Michael White’s gastronomic temple to innovative, exquisitely fresh Italian-inspired seafood in midtown Manhattan (240 Central Park South).
Fred Bollaci, President & CEO Fred Bollaci Enterprises of New York and Palm Beach with Executive Chef Lauren De Steno at Marea in Midtown Manhattan, NYC.
For starters, Marea is an absolutely exquisite environment. Backlit golden onyx walls, gleaming wide-planked wooden floors, red Italian lamps, crisp white table linens and large soundproof windows looking out onto the rest of the world from the oasis that is home to one of the best dining experiences this world traveler has had— it calls to mind dinners at Italian “pescheria” heaven, notably Rome’s famed La Rosetta, the platinum standard for seafood in Italy, and one of the best seafood restaurants in the world, and neighboring Quinzi e Gabrieli, another outstanding establishment, which showcases the epitome of fresh and innovative. Both within blocks of each other and of Rome’s famed Pantheon, go to either (preferably both when in Rome) and stroll for gelato after (try Giolitti).
In NYC, go to Marea. Enjoy the amazing wine list, the prix fixe lunch for $48 or splurge with 5 delectable courses perfectly paired with wines. The poached lobster atop burrata was something extraordinary, and the house-made fusilli with red-wine poached octopus with bone marrow was beyond words- like a perfect Bolognese sauce flavor and richness with the delicateness of perfectly executed seafood, imagine that? Marea was so accommodating that my server even suggested I try a half order of the pasta so I could enjoy without over-ordering along with the other dishes I wished to sample, something other Manhattan restaurants I have visited lately were unwilling to do.
Poached Lobster with Burrata, a signature dish at Marrea.
One of the most amazing pasta dishes I’ve ever eaten: house-made fusilli with red-wine and cork-braised octopus with bone marrow, like the perfect Bolognese sauce meets Italian seaside sensation in heaven.
Exquisitely fresh raw seafood “crudo” served Italian-style. Just adorned enough to compliment the flavor, the fish speaks for itself!
Outstanding, rich, supple, buttery garganega white wine from the Veneto region of Italy. Absolutely amazing, one of the best whites I have enjoyed in a long time.
Marea, meaning “tide” in Italian, redefines the seascape of high-end Italian cuisine serving the freshest seafood featuring items imported from Italy and drawing from the local bounty and American waters. Chef Michael White presents a fresh interpretation of the modern gourmet coastal Italian cuisine.
At Marea, the menu reads like a study of the sea. The crux of the cuisine is devoted to the freshest and most seasonal fish and shellfish sourced from both the Mediterranean and waters worldwide.
Selections are devoted to crudo, which is essentially Italian “sushi” or “sashimi,” including a wide variety of oysters & clams and antipasti. Chef White, who grew up in Wisconsin, but lived and trained in some of the best restaurants in Italy, is famous for his house-made pasta. The menu also includes composed fish dishes, whole fish preparations and a short selection of meat to round out the extensive offerings. The wine list, overseen by Beverage Director Francesco Grosso, features a significant selection of wines that pair perfectly with the menu. With over 750 selections, 50 percent of the wine list is dedicated to European whites, which complement the fresh fish and seafood.
The elements that Chef Michael White became known for – superb cuisine, seamless service, award-winning wine programs all in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere comingle seamlessly at 240 Central Park South. To date, Marea has received two Michelin stars, the 2010 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant, three stars from The New York Times, named Best New Restaurant by Bon Apetit, Esquire, and GQ Magazine and also Best Italian Restaurant by Zagat. Marea has also recently joined the family of Relais & Chateaux’s elite group of Grande Chef Gourmand. Marea is a Fred Bollaci Enterprises Preferred Dining Destination, exemplifying Fred’s international healthy, gourmet lifestyle and should be considered a “MUST” on any gourmand’s New York City itinerary.
To learn more about Marea, click here.
A bit about Chef-Owner Michael White:
Michael White is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of the Altamarea Group, which is consists of the top-rated restaurants Marea, Ai Fiori, Osteria Morini, Nicoletta, Costata and The Butterfly in New York City, Osteria Morini and Due Mari in New Jersey, Chop Shop in London, Ristorante Morini in Istanbul, and Al Molo in Hong Kong. Marea has earned two Michelin stars and is a member of the prestigious Relais and Chateaux; Ai Fiori has also earned a Michelin star.
Perhaps surprising to anyone who has tasted Chef White’s authentic and inspirational Italian cuisine, Michael grew up in Beloit, Wisconsin. He enrolled at Kendall Culinary Institute 1989. His training then took him straight to the heart of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, the region where Bologna is situated, and home to the richest Italian cuisine, where he trained at the venerable Ristorante San Domenico in Imola, under the culinary guidance of chef Valentino Marcattilii, where he worked for seven years. Chef Michael experienced first-hand the Italian philosophy behind food preparation: it begins with the freshest, local, seasonal ingredients, which, when properly executed transform into culinary magic. Chef White also trained in Paris and in numerous locales in Southern France. The stage had been set for one of the American culinary world’s rising stars to shine.
Chef White returned to the US in 2001 where he was named Chef de Cuisine at Spiaggia, one of Chicago’s foremost Italian restaurants, which received a four star review from The Chicago Tribune under White’s direction. In 2002, he became Executive Chef of Fiamma Osteria, which earned a glowing three star review from The New York Times. Fiamma Osteria received a Michelin Star and White was named Esquire’s Best New Chef in 2002. Chef White also brought his famous recipes to home cooks with his book, Fiamma: The Essence of Contemporary Italian Cooking.
Chef White has been nominated three times consecutively for the James Beard Award Best Chef: New York City; is Grand Chef Relais & Chateaux; and is a member of The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation’s Culinary Council. In 2010, Chef White was named one of the 40 most influential New Yorkers under 40 by Crain’s New York Business.
The Altamarea Group also owns and operates restaurants in Hong Kong, London, Turkey, and Washington, DC, in addition to their New York and New Jersey operations. Given his extraordinary success already, the possibilities are most assuredly endless and sure to be delicious.
