COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE — You can’t blame me if I had high expectations the moment my companions and I decided to enter Marciano’s for lunch recently. After all, this Italian restaurant is owned by actor Marvin Agustin, who has been more active as a restaurateur (instead of an actor) these past couple of years. And most of his restaurants actually do serve good food, look pretty, and have an impressive enough concept.
The interiors of Marciano’s wowed me the moment I stepped inside. There were lots of pretty chandeliers, posters and other illustrations scattered everywhere — even on the ceiling, plus big tables partnered with fancy-looking chairs.
However, when I ordered for food, I got a little nervous. I told the waitress I wanted their Tony Soprano’s Sausage Pesto Pasta dish, and she nodded and said “pesto” while jotting it down. I added the Bryant Park pizza, while my companion asked for the Annie Hall Salad. “Okay,” the waitress said. “Caesar Salad.” My other lunch mate just had to say “Annie Hall Salad” twice AND point at its photo in the menu — just to make sure.
When she repeated our orders, she said “Pesto Pasta” and I just had to correct her. “Sausage Pesto,” I said, afraid there was some other pesto pasta dish that would make it to our table.
“Sausage?” she asked me. I ended up pointing at the dish from the menu.
The Annie Hall Salad (P322) was big enough for me and my two other companions. Its berry vinaigrette was subtle while the caramelized apple slices and nuts weren’t a lot.
The Bryant Park Pizza (P406) arrived next. The good thing was that the thin crust was perfectly crunchy; the bad thing was that they scrimped on the ricotta cheese. That’s too bad because we ordered it for the ricotta cheese. It’s like asking for a cheeseburger and finding out that the cheese slice is just a fourth of the whole thing. Oh well.
Last to arrive was the Sausage Pesto Pasta (P370), which was a little too rich, we all agreed. Good thing the we could taste the pesto flavour, but it just didn’t blend well with the sausage. We didn’t finish it. Oh, the pizza, too.
And so I asked for the leftovers to be put in a bag so I could take them out. (Side story: We went to Starbucks afterwards and before leaving the coffee shop, I noticed that oil seeped out of the Marciano’s paper bag of leftovers. Too much oil, actually, that I had to wipe the chair using lots of tissue paper. I also had to just leave the whole bag because the bottom part was so wet I knew it would give up sooner or later).
First time at Marciano’s and the three dishes we tried weren’t that impressive. I’m still giving the pretty place another chance; hopefully, the dishes I order the next time should make me want to return. If not, there are lots of other Italian restaurants in the city.
Like Gambino. But, oh wait, that’s Marvin Agustin’s, too.
