Peachy Picks Marchi's
If you get the feeling that you are at a favorite family member's house for dinner when you dine at Marchi's, you are not far off from the truth.
You ARE dining at someone's house!
The only place in Manhattan where you can do this, Marchi's boasts a unique experience that is hard to find because they have been grandfathered in throughout the years-they've been a New York legend since 1930.
Marchi's is great for those of you that just can't decide.
That is because there is no menu!
They decide it all for you. And you can be assured it is perfection because they have had over 80 years to get it right! We first met Christine Marchi, below, and she was a gracious hostess throughout the evening. Her parents-in-law started Marchi's....we were sad to hear it will not go past another generation so we encourage you all to visit them on the sooner side!
Right now they have a lovely garden open in their backyard where you can dine, and the family affair five-course meal is both leisurely and ideal for large groups. Not that we look for deals because we only concentrate on quality, but you should know this is among the best deals in town. We have never heard of a 5 course meal for $48.75 per person, particularly in Manhattan.
One strong point of Marchi's menu is that it is packed with fresh, pure ingredients. The first course boasts fresh bread, platters of antipasta, and a Lorenzo salad which is tuna fish, olives, capers, chopped celery, parsley and red cabbage.
This meal is a prime example of how if you eat the right food in the proper proportions you can eat quite a lot and not show it. Peachy Deegan is always the one ordering the green salad to balance out her meal but Marchi's has thought of that again and again. Peachy loved all of the vegetables the most and especially the green beans.
The salami was sliced perfectly thin and we loved it.
The lasagna was even better with cheese:
The atmosphere of this garden cannot be beat for a romantic night outside. You definitely would have no idea walking by Marchi's that such a paradise existed beyond its walls so we are letting you in on this 80 year old secret.
But don't just listen to Peachy. Our esteemed panelist adds:
I am always on the lookout for new and unique dining experiences. Upon entering Marchi's restaurant, I knew I had found just that. Marchi's is not your average, typical New York City Italian restaurant. It is also home to the Marchi family, who has been residing and running the restaurant in tandem for over Eighty years! The sheer size of the indoor dining space is absolutely perfect for large parties while the outdoor garden patio is a dream spot for an intimate, romantic date.
Marchi's restaurant is run very differently than most restaurants in the United States, let alone New York! They do not have an actual menu-instead they have been serving the same five course meal since opening their doors. This concept can only be compared to sophisticated, european-style dining. The first course consisted of platters of antipasto; one of fresh vegetables, a Lorenzo salad, and genoa salami. This was also accompanied by a basket of piping-hot bread to eat with olive oil and vinegar. Everything was so incredibly fresh and flavorful that I had to remind myself to save room for the other courses!
The second course was nothing short of delectable. They served an individual portion of their homemade lasagna that literally melted in my mouth! This lasagna recipe has been tweaked and as a result, perfected over the years. The sauce they used is a secret Marchi family recipe that helped make it one of the best lasagnas I've ever tasted! For the next course we were served fried fish with cold beets and string beans. Everything was seasoned/dressed very simply, letting the freshness of it all really shine. Though it was fried, the fish was not heavily battered which gave it a light quality, while still giving it a nice, crisp texture.The fourth course was roast chicken, slices of roasted veal with sides of freshly cooked mushrooms and a tossed salad. The chicken was so moist and flavorful! The veal was thinly sliced and tender covered in a homemade sauce that was to die for. The mushrooms were incredible fresh, following suite with everything previously eaten thus far which complimented the meat dishes quite well.
Lastly, the final course was dessert which I thankfully had saved just enough room for! Between the fresh fruit, cheese, crostoli and Creme fritta I was in dessert heaven! It was the perfect end to a delicious meal. Though you may think with so many different courses one would be uncomfortably full by the end, this was not the case! I felt quite satisfied without feeling sluggish. I believe this was due to Marchi's careful selection and quality of the food that they served, which I really appreciate. I am delighted to have found such a unique dining spot and will be sure to bring friends and family back with me for another enjoyable and delicious evening!
Peachy Picks Marchi's!
