Marco’s

Marco’s is «decent.» It is the ideal of new American restaurants that began to take over hipster New York (Roberta’s, Northeast Kingdom, Saxon+Parole), rustic, but New York, local sometimes in implication alone, serving whatever they want under the umbrella of fresh takes on comfort food. Marco’s does all of this with humility, substance, and decency.
I spent a torrid three days sending off this wonderful restaurant with two friends and myself when I heard it was closing. Possibly one of the greatest Brooklyn restaurant of its kind.
The obligatory exposed brick interior is neither intimate or expansive, it discloses all without romantic low lighting. There are occasional photographs on the walls and people leave the bathroom smelling of Meyer’s lemon soap, the farm to table touchstone. Still, the food quality, personable waitstaff, and regulars (food groupies) make it cozy.
My Marco’s experience tends to accelerate quickly, becoming exponentially better or worse as the night goes on. My first night we ordered wood grilled oysters, still fresh and tender though warm, with an odd pickle at the top of it that did not really add to the flavor. I would have preferred raw. The tagliatelle were al dente, creamy, and slightly complex. Worth ordering especially if you love cheese sauce, but I was still looking forward to a flavor more to my liking. Then the spit roasted half chicken came. Holy shit. A celebratory meal. Tender throughout, generous, and maintaining the fennel/​herbed flavor from well baked skin to breast, it was something I had to take home the night before Marco’s closed. And I didn’t let any douchebag from Charlene’s take the box while I waited for my cab. Dessert was a home made gelato with a dusty plane that was a cookie you had to dip. Not terribly impressive.
I courted Marco’s a second time. This was when we tried the chicken liver bruschetta as a first course, which might be Marco’s greatest dish… or maybe the chicken is. The memory of it brings concentrated attempts to bring back that flavor, rich and fatty chunks of liver, savory balsamic vinegar making the uneven bites complex, the rustic, generous slice of toast that fights back any easy chewing. Then it brings greed, sorrow and anger that I can’t have it again. The dish is hearty and makes an impact, but ends with such flavor that you crave another one while you wait for more food to come. My friend held onto my arm to joke that she was orgasming.
We shared the pappardelle (which means something hilarious in Russian. no suspense. it means «they farted»). It is my favorite pasta at Marco’s, al dente, with a savory meat sauce. The ribs were not my favorite, sweet and sour, red glazed like something I could have in a Chinatown dive. But, the lamb chops were amazingly flavorful, plump and tender. I only got a bite or two because my friend ordered the dish. The night ended with another underwhelming dessert, the strawberry tart.
The night Marco’s closed, I had to send it off despite spending most of my money. I experienced the chicken liver bruschetta one last time, eating it too quickly and cherishing the experience. I also had the pappardelle one last time. Turns out even Marco’s can’t interest me in turnips and I scarfed down some forgettable spinach with a spiced red wine. My last entrée was the pork chop with tangy orange accented beans and greens underneath it that flavored the whole pork chop. It was not overly tender, but the sauce kept me eating it. Yes, I tried two desserts that night. I did not touch the overly sweet coffee gelato. I loved the crème fraîche gelato that came with the wood grilled apple cake. The cake itself was more of a loaf, a bit dry but with some delicate apple flavor.
The service experience tended to start friendly and gracious, then depreciate rapidly after we ordered appetizers. The host was gracious, gave us updates on the time, took our coats. The waitress started casual and conversational, unafraid to recommend things, then became cold and hands off after the appetizers came. This happened every time.

I was very, very impressed by Marco’s. Everything about the restaurant and our service was great – the waitress even appeased our annoying questions and asked the chef what type of cheese she uses in the robiolo and greens salad. But the food was truly the highlight – the sald was perfect, a great combination of fresh greens and creamy cheese, and they were the opposite of skimpy with the cheese (most places just give you one chunk, and this was plentiful). For dinner, my date ordered the sausage orichette and I had the tagliatelle with proscuitto, I think – they were both incredible, if quite rich. We split this baked blueberry peach thing with vanilla ice cream for dessert. It was actually only so-​so, but that’s comparing it to the culinary delights we had earlier that evening. Seriously can’t wait to go back.

Mouais… La terrasse a l’arrière est agréable mais c’est relativement cher pour la quantité même si, ce que nous avons mange était plutôt bon.

I haven’t felt this way about a restaurant in New York for quite a while.
The food was wonderful. The wine was nice. The service was attentive, friendly, but not cloying. The atmosphere was relaxed and unpretentiously upscale. If I weren’t at work I would try to write something more substantive but all I can say is I loved it.
Hats off. I rarely feel this way about higher-​end Italian but Marco’s has swept me off my feet.
Oh yes, we had a salad for starter. Greens, balsamic vinaigrette and a delicious robiola. I had the Orecchiette and my girlfriend had the Tagliatelle. Both were served hot, perfectly cooked, and with the right balance of pasta, sauce, and viande.
Have to get to cracking here but I will be daydreaming about my Orecchiette. When is lunch?

Excellent ¾ inch thick ribeye with ramp butter and onions sautéed in balsamic vinegar (incredibly tasty combo). A lot of rib eyes I typically get at restaurants have an over generous amount of marble but this cut of beef was perfect. Lastly, make sure you get it prepared to the chef’s recommendation (med-​rare), you won’t be disappointed.
Tagliatelle reminded me of carbonara in Rome. Really flavorful buttery egg sauce with just the right amount of shaved prosciutto. Easily my second favorite dish, for those sensitive to salt, this might not be the dish for the simple fact that the prosciutto is on the salty side. I consider it important for the balance of flavor.
Wood grilled pork shoulder over marinated tomatoes was a had tons of flavor and moist. A lot more than I anticipated, only wish they gave more amount of pork.
The large plump Fried shrimp with hot pepper aoili was a juicy with a nice beer batter like crust.
Buffalo Mozzarella with gold tomatoes & garlic was off the charts!
Overall, could be one of the best restaurants in Brooklyn. Definitely top 5 for me.

Great pasta, especially pappardelle — perfectly cooked, delicate, and very satisfying. Also, best grilled cheese sandwich with anchovies. Nice atmosphere, not expensive.

Five stars, and I haven’t even tried one of their pastas yet. My girlfriend and I shared two appetizers, two entrees, a side, and a dessert — every single one was a hit.
The wood-​grilled oysters and spiedino are both delicious (and perfectly sized) appetizers. The oysters reminded me of ones I had at Mas la Grillade a couple years ago — still fresh and briny, but somehow made even plumper by the smoke. The spiedino is like the best grilled cheese you can think of.
We then had the pork shoulder (cut like a steak) and the cotechino. The pork was fantastic, and not at all what I expected. The green tomato accompaniment was the perfect choice. I’m a sucker for sausage, so the cotechino was right up my alley, but the mostarda that came with it was almost too strong.
Let me pause a second on the side of Carolina gold rice. I mean… it would be a crime to walk out of there without ordering that rice. I would eat that every night, happily, with anything. It’s that good.
The rye chocolate cake with mint gelato to finish was delicious as well. Drinks were plenty strong, but maybe not the strongest part of the menu, they tended to be heavy on the use of the herbal/​apéritif-​type ingredients — maybe stick to wine, the list looked pretty good.
It’s pretty rare for me to walk out of a good Italian restaurant without having tried a pasta (and be happy about it), but Marco’s put out a spectacular meal. (And I’ll be back to try a pasta soon).

I gave this restaurant 2 stars because Unilocal!defines it as «Meh. I’ve experienced better». I work for a Italian restaurant and wine bar in Manhattan. two regulars who eat out every day highly recommended this place. So I went there.
Ambiance is great, layout is awesome and service is on point. The food and menu just aren’t there.
I ordered the steak. I received a huge slab of medium to medium-​well (ordered medium rare) meat that honestly didn’t taste great. I would have loved a lesser portion of better quality beef cooked at the requested temperature.
My girlfriend is a super foodie. Born and raised in Europe. She ordered the chicken. Mushrooms were great but the chicken itself sat on a piece of bread that became soggy and gross. I thought that maybe the bread was there as a technique to make the chicken less wet but still maintain moisture. However, the inside of the chicken was really dry.
Desert is also something we look forward to. However, we were very turned off by the options. Whole grain olive oil cake? I personally didn’t even want to try anything on the desert menu.
Overall I was disappointed by the food we ordered and the alternative options. At this price point I really expected more.
That being said. Again, this place looks great inside, the service is stellar and they have really good reviews. I would suggest you look at the menu and decide for yourself. This was just my experience.

Everything was out of this world delicious. Every. SIngle. Bite.
Definitely on the expensive side, but you get what you pay for. Save it for a special occasion. Garden was delightful.

I had the Spring Lettuce Salad w/​walnuts & pecorino foglie de noce for $ 15. This dish was modest yet dignified. The lettuce was tender and sweet. The shaved pecorino was savory and nutty. The walnuts were delicately toasted. This was all dressed lightly in just the right amount of lemon and olive oil. This is better salad than I can make at home. There is no way to knock this dish.
Then I had a «primi» the Spring Greens Tortelloni w/​green garlic & pecorino sardo for $ 18. The tortelloni was filled with a purée of spring greens, and dressed in butter, olive oil and green garlic then topped with the pecorino. The dish was pretty much perfect in every way. There is no way to knock this dish. The pasta was perfectly made. This dish cannot be made any better.
Then I had another «primi» the Orecchiette w/​leeks, flowering rapini & asparagus for $ 18. The house made orecchiette were perfectly made. I believe this was also dressed in butter, olive oil. What was most impressive about this dish was the ratio of ingredients. This dish really hit the mark on topping to pasta ratio. I must commend them for this.
Then I had the Whole Wheat Olive Oil Cake w/​lavender & honey-​mascarpone gelato for $ 10. Another score. You can’t knock this dessert. Just delightful.
We drank a bottle of white wine for around $ 50. I don’t remember the name. It was delicious.
Service was friendly, sincere, helpful, & knowledgeable. The backyard is gorgeous and relaxing.
I really appreciated this meal because the quality was so good on all marks that it created a rare lucidity in which I was able to connect with the essence of spring. This to me justifies the high price of the dishes, which for two came to around $ 200 after tax and tip which would have been even higher should I have ordered a «secondi».

A fabulous birthday evening at Marco’s. Granted, I had the best company in town, but the team at Marco’s only added to the occasion. We were greeted with a glass of Prosecco as we perused the menu. I was extremely impressed with (who I believe was) Francine’s encyclopedic knowledge of their wine menu. This is obviously a carefully cultivated list that they take a lot of pride in. We enjoyed a bottle of Nebbiolo and — truly — all of our dishes. It would be difficult to say which was my favorite, but the spaghetti with Sardinian tuna heart was remarkable. Each dish was balanced and extremely aromatic. Beautiful, carefully crafted food, attentive but not overly hovering service — a warm, wonderful evening. Will definitely be back — and well before the next birthday!

Opened up recently in the former Franny’s space by the same team, this place is every bit as hipster as its predecessor. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the food to be quite as enjoyable.
Maybe it was just the brunch menu, and I need to come back for dinner, but nothing really stood out:
— Whole Wheat Apple Doughnuts ($ 8 for 3)
These were pretty good, just as you would except fresh, hot doughnuts should be. The apple butter underneath made for a nice accompaniment for dipping.
— Warm Date & Walnut Bread ($ 9)
This was decent, but I kind of wish it was hot instead of warm. It was very moist, and didn’t really need the dollop of crème fraîche splattered across the top of it.
— Wood-​grilled Raisin Walnut Bread ($ 9)
This was really rich. There was a ton of ricotta and oil on top of the very crispy bread.
— Frittata ($ 13)
This was probably the tastiest thing we had, but it was just too tiny. It consists of a very small frittata with some prosciutto di parma covering it up and some red kale on the side. The salty meat and the oily frittata made for a delicious bite, but I was left wanting more.
— Spit-​Roasted Chicken Panini ($ 14)
This was a really excellent sandwich. The focaccia-​style bread was nice and crunchy on the outside but still a bit fluffy. The chicken was quite spicy and really juicy.
Unfortunately, when we asked for a dessert menu, the guy told us they don’t really have one and that the sweet stuff on the menu is what they offer for dessert. I wish he told me that earlier so I could have saved the doughnuts and cake for dessert and tried some more stuff instead for appetizers.
Perhaps I will give it another try for dinner, as the food is clearly good, but I wouldn’t really recommend the brunch.

My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Marco’s on a cold Wednesday night.
The décor is an improvement over the previous setup for Franny’s, they take full advantage of the open kitchen, but have replaced the long lines of two tops with chairs, and added hard wood banquette seating that creates a more intimate atmosphere.
The food was outstanding. We were not starving, and shared dishes. We started with the chestnut agnolotti and a slightly smoky tagliatelle with prosciutto. Both dishes were exceptional.
We split the pork shoulder secondi, which was the star of the evening. The pork was perfectly done, absolutely melt in your mouth. We enjoyed a side of pumpkin soufflé, which went well with it.
While our server mentioned that portions run small, I would recommend 2 primi and one secondi for an intimate date. With a pair of beers, the bill ran just over $ 50 a person. For food on the level of fine dining, we felt like we got a deal at Marcos.
If I had one criticism, it would be that they don’t offer split portions of the primi or secondi. While the portions are small enough where not many folks would split them, it would be nice to have the option, and not have to separate dishes on the table.

KenScale: 8.0÷10
Marco’s is an Italian restaurant in Prospect Heights from Francine Stephens and Andrew Feinberg, who have initially gained fame for their pizzeria in Brooklyn, Franny’s. After my visit to the Brooklyn Museum, I decided to pay a visit to this restaurant that has received serious buzz since its opening. Overall, I really liked the rustic feel of the Italian cuisine this restaurant offered.
I started out the meal with two appetizers. Wood-​grilled oysters were very tender, and goat’s milk cheese with walnuts and pickled beets served on toasts was also a delicious start to the meal. For pasta, I went with tagliatelle with prosciutto di parma, a rich, hearty dish that I enjoyed a lot. For the main dishes, I tried Ligurian fish stew with monkfish, shrimp, bay scallops and mussels and wood-​grilled lamb chops scottadito with Swiss chard and Sicilian condiment. Fish stew was overall solid, but not particularly remarkable. Lamb chops did impress me, however, with the great tender meat that was very well seasoned without the condiment overwhelming the lamb itself. If you have room for side, definitely try Carolina golden rice with butter and vinegar, which worked as a great complement to the main dishes. For dessert, I had honey custard dessert with preserved plums and buckwheat cookies, a simple dish that was a pleasant way to end the meal.
The restaurant is relatively small, which means getting a reservation could be a challenge unless you call in advance. The restaurant does take walk-​ins once it opens, but the tables set aside for walk-​ins were already full by the time I walked in around 5:50 p.m. (the restaurant opens at 5:30 p.m. for dinner) so I opted to sit and dine at the bar near the entrance. I took a peak at the restaurant’s dining room, which looks like a cozy neighborhood joint that doesn’t have any pretentious quality to it despite the level of sophistication of the dishes being churned out. The restaurant has a full bar with Italian-​heavy wine menu. I wouldn’t usually make that rare visit to Brooklyn to dine at an Italian restaurant (there are already so many high-​quality Italian places in Manhattan), but I think Marco’s is definitely a place worth visiting if you live near the area or happen to be around and want to experience rustic Italian fare in a cozy neighborhood setting.

Brooklyn’s culinary scene always leaves me in a food coma and it keeps me wanting more. Service, gourmet brunch, and decadent desserts are some of the highlights for this quaint Italian restaurant.
Although I thought they had a limited menu, I enjoyed the items I ordered — Calabria Eggplant panini with goat cheese and black olives. I recommend eating it with a fork and knife because I found it a bit oily but it was tasty. It had right amount of spices to make it flavorful.
For dessert, I chose the assorted nut tart which was heavenly. I loved the crunchy texture and sweet honey and buttery crust. Definitely recommend that dessert.

Went on a whim and it was amazing! From the door to the table, everyone we encountered was helpful, inviting and professional
We each started with a glass of wine. Since it was our first time here, the girl in the red shirt, Alison, explained the concept of the menu. We started with 3 apps, Grilled Oysters, Taleggio with walnuts & grapes and a «special» Bruschetta. We then split an order of the Fontina Agnolotti with cabbage & walnuts.
From start to finish, a great meal and definitely enough for my sister and I.
I will definitely go back over the holidays again when I come to visit! Great job kitchen and floor staff!
We

Now, my friends will tell you that I hardly ever write reviews for places. The experience has to be overwhelmingly terrible or absolutely remarkable for me to chime in. I am happy to say that fortunately Marco’s was the latter!
I’ve been to almost every single restaurant in Prospect Heights (I’m a big time foodie and lover of good wines), and before Locanda Vini Olli and the James were holding down places in my heart for favorite neighborhood spots. Well Marco’s has happily turned those 2 on their heads!
Where do I even begin? I had high expectations for Marco’s as they are a part of the Frannie’s family, and Frannie’s is DELICIOUS. But Marco’s takes things up another notch. The ambiance, the décor, the WINE, the FOOD, these are all things that we sometimes forget should be givens during our dining experience.
The restaurant is so tastefully decorated, so sleek, so stylish, yet not overdone at all. Marco’s has the perfect combination of flair without becoming stuffy. The wine list is PHENOMENAL. Now listen, this is not the place you go to if you want to save on a meal or keep it cheap. You’re going to pay at Marco’s, but damn it, it’s so worth it that it doesn’t even matter. The wine list is so expansive and extensive. My bf is a sommelier and he wholeheartedly agreed that Marcos’ wine list was the BEST wine list in Prospect Heights, and could even be in the running for one of the best wine lists out there. We enjoyed a DELICIOUS Terre Nere Etna Rosso, which went perfectly with our food.
On to the FOOD! The dishes here are what I like to call «Italian Inspired», so don’t expect hardcore Italian old-​world cuisine. The dishes are almost fusion with added ingredients like cabbage and hazelnuts to some of the pastas.
We had a generous sampling of the menu, here’s what we enjoyed:
Prosciutto di Parma w/​gnoccho fritto & aceto balsamico
Chicory Salad w/​hazelnuts, pomegranate & salva cremasco
Fontina Agnolotti w/​cabbage and hazelnuts
Squid in the style of Venice
Gigante Beans w/​pork rib
Charred Leeks w/​anchovies
Parmigiano Reggiano «Stravecchio» w/​mostagro di Barbera
When I tell you everything was DELICIOUS, not like «oh, this is really good, yum!», no I mean like «SWEET GOD ALMIGHTY WHAT IS THIS EXPLOSION OF GOODNESS IN MY MOUTH, HALLELUJAH» good is what I mean. Because honestly, it was like that, every.single.bite.left.us.speechless.
Our favorites from that list were the Agnolotti, Squid (**********), Chicory Salad.
We were too stuffed to try any of the desserts, but they had an interesting strawberry semi-​freddo that I wish we had left room for.
Oh and most importantly, THE SERVICE WAS OUTSTANDING. Like I was seriously impressed by how nice, attentive, quick, and efficient the wait staff was. It’s so refreshing to be treated well when you kinda get used to sucky service.
All in all, fantastic, memorable experience. I cannot wait to go back to Marco’s again and have my taste buds pleasured (yea I know that sounds kinda dirty doesn’t it?).

I will never go back to Marcos. Here are the problems in short:
— Noise (no sound-​proofing, bad design)
— No secluded area for large (loud) parties
— Small Portions for the price
— Appetizers not prepared for groups
— Overuse of cheese as a crutch
In detail:
Noise: The designer and owners of the restaurant have done NOTHING to sound-​proof the space. Every surface is wood, glass, or metal. The only soft surfaces are vinyl seat cushions which do little to dampen the noise. They should eat at some good restaurants and take notes on how fabrics, dividers, lowered ceilings, carpet, etc are used tastefully to make the space more intimate and not a cavernous echo-​chamber where every loud patron’s bellow and baby’s cry reverberates.
Private Areas: There should be a secluded/​private area for large parties of 6 or more (6 is the amount of people that can easily fit at the large booth (s) Marcos has. Otherwise they shouldn’t seat parties larger than this in a wide open space. The night we were there a party of 8 loud men from New Jersey were screaming, laughing, and swearing every other word. Our party of 4 was no competition for these men and we couldn’t hear eachother most of the time. I also noticed a romantic couple on a date who were seated by the hostess next to this large group. They looked extremely uncomfortable and were doing things like crouching away from the large party and holding their hands up to their heads to block the noise.
Portion/​Price ratio: A $ 30 entrée is served with nothing. No vegetables, no mash, no bread. Just the meat. This is ridiculous. They don’t even offer bread for the table. Even cheaper restaurants still do this. At least throw some fancy crackers or fancy skinny breadsticks on the table in a cup.
Appetizer scaling: Imagine this. A party of four orders the crostini special appetizer. The waitress tells you nothing of the setup. It arrives and it’s a giant piece of bread, a single crostini (remember crostini are toasted) so you have to try cutting it into four portions with a dull butter knife as it slides around the plate and falls apart. If I wanted to prepare my food I’d stay home.
Overuse of cheese: First, I LOVE cheese. I am happy putting it on almost anything. But they have gone overboard. A side order of broccoli rabe had so much grated cheese on it you can barely see the broccoli. (see attached if I can get it to work) This was the same for the fennel — it tasted fine but they went too far. A little less and it would have been good.
In conclusion, this place sucks. Don’t go unless you like paying $ 200+ dollars for a meal that is small, eating it cafeteria-​style in an echoing mess hall, and being surrounded by a loud and ongoing trainwreck.
PS: We also witnessed a woman fall over when trying to sit on their beautifully designed — but non-​practical — barstools. DId the bartender or hostess apologize or comp her drink? No. When will restaurants learn that SERVICE and hospitality is just as important as design and plating?
PPS: To be fair, how can I or anyone expect a quiet and fine dining experience on Flatbush Ave? But… the menu and prices indicate that. So back it up.

Seriously, one of the best meals I had recently. We were a group of four, so we started with many small plates of appetizers, but each had an entrée and a desert. We loved everything we tasted, but we felt the appetizers were the highlights.
Our favorites were:
Sicilian cauliflower
Marinated cranberry beans
Wood grilled oysters
Spiedina
Parmigiano Reggiano with balsamico (oddly listed under side dishes)
Sweet pepper sformato
Bucatini with muscles and clams
Wood grilled striped bass
Excellent cocktails, and a bottle of Bisson Cinque Terre Marea our waiter recommended was fantastic.
We didn’t think the portions were that small, so I was surprised to see all the reviews. The point of this place is to try many different dishes, not fill up with a giant bowl of pasta. We had a great meal and did not leave hungry.

While the food is good, the portions are too small to warrant anything above 3 stars at the moment. And while the space is nice, I think they could have worked a bit harder to make it darker, more intimate, and romantic.
I went to Marco’s last night as a party of 8 to celebrate my engagement (wooo!), and generally left with the impression that the pasta is excellent, the pork loin is nearly perfect, but generally, the portions are too small for family style, which makes no sense because they recommended sharing.
We had almost the entire menu (3 pastas and 5 secondis). The pastas were fresh and delicious, though the portion sizes made it such that each person could only have a few slivers each. Of the entrees, I thought the squid and scallops were not very remarkable, but the pork loin and lamb were both delicious and flavorful. The chicken was probably somewhere in between.
You could tell the entire table was disappointed because no one was even interested in the dessert menus, instead we went to Ample Hills for ice cream.
I was disappointed by the experience, especially being such a big Franny’s fan. I live and die by the clam pie. But, I don’t think i will be back unless we hear they fixed the portions issue.

Does size matter? Not if you have a big fat wallet or a hankering for some top of the line small plate Italian fare a la Franny style. Wood fired grills and the signature Franny food. The retro design is so much nicer than the staid Franny’s of yore. The menu if you couldn’t figure it out is small plates which means order a lot to be sated. There is no bread service here which seems ingracious at these prices otherwise everything we ordered with the exception of one item was stellar. My friend Ivy and I ate:
Spiedino alla Romana $ 9
Tagliatelle prosciutto di Parma $ 18
Wood Grilled Lamb Chops Scolladita $ 28
Sicilian charred eggplant $ 8
Summer Squash w/​butter & lemon $ 6
The tiny spiedino (Italian grilled cheese) was delish. We later asked for bread and one piece came grilled (1 piece for 2 people-​ok) The pasta was perfection tasting like a carbonara– it was almost a tease. Also, amazing was the lamb chops. Cooked to a grilled ideal over bread with the same herbs– oofah. The Sicilian eggplant was nice with pine nuts, raisins and ricotta salata. The squash though was very overcooked though the buttery lemon sauce was tasty. Garden opens next year. We headed over to the Larder for dessert. Love the Larder & it’s unpretentious vibe.