Old Money Charm at Marea 🌟

🍃I met up with a friend I hadn’t seen in ages at Marea, a former two-Michelin-star restaurant. As soon as we walked in, someone was there to check our coats. The decor is quintessentially old money—low-key and understated, just like the kind of place a wealthy movie character would take Vivienne in Pretty Woman. 🌸 The crowd was mostly silver-haired patrons and Upper West Side families; not many Asians around. Since it’s an Italian seafood restaurant, we ordered three dishes in total: one appetizer and two main courses, plus two glasses of white wine. 🌊 The appetizer was Astice, with lobster meat and burrata cheese—a very refreshing combination. For the mains, the octopus fusilli was rich and flavorful with a delicious sauce, while the duck confit pappardelle was just okay and a bit salty. 🎢 The service deserves a mention. We ordered wine, but it hadn’t arrived by the time our food did. My friend gently reminded the waiter, who probably forgot. 🏙️ When we were paying the bill, the waiter (we affectionately called her “Afro Sister,” a beautiful Black woman) made a point to say the wine wasn’t included and gave us two chocolates as a gesture. 🌟The service had that old money/Michelin-starred level of grace. (The restaurant no longer has any stars; it was two stars in 2022.) #AtmosphericRestaurant #NewYorkDining #BeautifulMeals 🗽