A Taste of Italy at Marcony Ristorante

By: Finance Foodie

It's been almost 5 years since my last trip to Italy, but I can still taste the savory goodness of the spaghetti and the sweetness of the tiramisu that was ever present in the endless sidewalk cafes. Now I try to indulge in carb-y Italian cuisine only sparingly, but when I got the invite for a "Taste of Italy" lunch at Marcony Ristorante, hosted by chef and owner Marco Pipolo, well I had to cash in my "splurge" meal day and check this place out.

Zucchini and Figs

Boy was this a good meal to play those calorie cards! When I walked in, I was greeted immediately by a house specialty cocktail made with Prosecco and crushed mixed berries. Day drinking - my kind of event! Soon after we were seated, the first course arrived - the Fiori di Zucchine (zucchini flower filled with riccota, mozzarella, and parmingiano cheese, drizzed with blueberry sauce) and the Fichi al Gorgonzola e Speck (figs filled with gorgonzola cheese wrapped with speck and drizzed with a balsamic reduction). Both items were deliciously rich and flavorful - and although the portions were tasting size, I already felt the fullness setting in.

Scallops and Mushroom

The second course was the lovely Capesante Ai Porchini (scallop with porchini mushroom and shaved black truffle). The scallop was nicely seared and had a nice firmness that was really brought to life with the intensity of the mushroom accompaniments.

Lamb and Sea Bass

After that was a classic and perfectly al dente Ravioli filled with Burrata cheese. The fourth course was the Branzino Cileno (Chilean sea bass in a honey sauce) with the Costoletta Di Agnello (lamb chop with cherry sauce). The lamb was a bit chewy and rare for my taste, but the the sea bass was a winner - the fish was moist and flakey and the honey sauce gave it a nice hint of sweetness.

Dessert! 

Marcony must have known to save the best for last because the "death by dessert" platter filled with bite sized brownies, tiramisu, chocolate lava cake, ricotta cheesecake and mixed berries was truly the icing on the cake. The ricotta cheesecake was the surprising winner here - soft, smooth and much lighter than a traditional (cream) cheesecake. Boom. A sweet ending to a fantastic lunch. Now get me a stretcher because that's the only way I am leaving this restaurant!

Marcony Ristorante 
184 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10016
(646) 837-6020
Cuisine: Italian
marconyusa.com