Natural Costal Italian at Mare

When people inquire as to my favorite restaurant in the North End (such an unfair question, but I get it all the time) Mare is one that ranks among my top 5. Mare (pronounced Mah-Ray) the Italian word for ocean, is not the typically hearty Italian fare one might expect from a North End restaurant, nor is it your classic Little Italy atmosphere. The focus is on all natural coastal Italian cuisine served in a sleek modern setting.

Dishes are prepared with finesse and expertise and the seafood is consistently fresh, but you should be prepared to spend. Appetizers average around $16 and entrees look to even off at around $30.

The last time we dined at Mare was back when we had just moved to the neighborhood! We had an excellent date night all around.

Mare participates in Restaurant Week Boston. This is the type of place, in my opinion, that you are going to get your monies worth. Three courses for $33.10? Yes, please. I booked a reservation for a Wednesday night 8pm. It was a supper busy evening; we were greeted with smiles and seated promptly upon arrival.
We perused the wine list first, settling on a bottle of Esperto Pinot Grigio ($35). I immediately recognized the twist top bottle as one I've purchased at the liquor store across the street for $16. A disappointing upsell for sure, but we really wanted a bottle of white wine to compliment our seafood and this proved one of the least expensive on the menu. Deciding not to let it dampen the mood; I happily sipped enjoying its crisp fruitiness while in anticipation of the first course. In the meantime we were delivered soft bread with a light organic olive oil for dipping. For the Primi course I chose the Thin Crust Pizzetta di Mare.

Sauteed calamari, shrimp and scallops were piled high atop a crispy thin crust with fresh tomatine, red and yellow cherry tomatoes and parsley.

All of the seafood was excellent, cooked perfectly with just enough seasoning to allow the clean natural flavors of the underwater creatures to shine.

I devoured this, it was a truly memorable first course.

At this point you've probably noticed, and might be questioning the many different color tones coming through in the photographs. No, my camera has not gone crazy on me. That would be the up-tempo zest to the otherwise simple and modern ambiance that is Mare. A photo shoot says says it best.

The translucent curtain along the back wall of the restaurant illuminates the space in an ever changing array of colors. My dining companion went from green with envy to yellow mellow in a matter seconds. The first time we dined here was at a table over by the windows, so it was nice to switch it up and experience the other side of the distinguished space.
Adam's primi course was the Grilled Octopus with Genovese pesto & potato mousse. We had actually split this appetizer in the past and loved it, so he was confident in ordering it again. Unfortunately, this time around it was left on the grill a little too long. Severely blackened and charred, he still cleaned his plate but that poor octopus was likely victim of a busy kitchen trying to keep up with the restaurant week demand.

It was a toss for me up regarding the entree course. Surprisingly, I was toying with the idea of choosing the Wild Mushroom Spaghetti a la Chitarra with porcini cream, truffle essence and spinach. I thought about how amazing their homemade pasta would be, specifically because I walk by here everyday on my way home from work and observe the sous chefs making the pasta from scratch through the open kitchen windows.

Debating it over, I eventually came to the decision that I was going again with a seafood dish.I chose the Grilled Rainbow Trout with Charred leeks, funghi trifolat and whole grain mustard vinaigrette.

For starters, the presentation was fascinating.

I was enamored with the mushrooms stuffed gently inside the whole trout.

While the fish head was rather intimidating, I managed to embrace it. The skin was perfectly crispy and the fish was melt-in-your-mouth tender and flaky. The preparation honored the trouts distinct (for lack of a better word) fishy flavor.

The pungent and grainy mustard vinaigrette added robust flavor without overwhelming and the delicate earthy mushrooms were a welcome pairing.Adam chose Chicken Under the Brick with Gorgonzola potatoes and brussel spouts. I didn't manage to snap a photo, but I can tell you that he loved it. Dessert took much less inner debate on my part, I wanted the Tiramisu Panna Cotta (my two favorite desserts combined!) When the waiter informed me they were out my voice shot up an octave or 5 "Already?" At this point I thought, come on Mare, I expect you to be better prepared and not run out of your feature dessert at 8pm!

The Apple Bread Pudding with apple caramel sauce it was.This forced me out of my comfort zone as far as desserts go. I am not typically a bread pudding fan, but Mare changed my mind!

The thick and moist spice cake laced with chunks of fresh apples was fantastic and that caramel sauce, divine. I no longer cared about the Tiramisu-panna-what? This hit the spot.

What did not hit the spot was the fact that our waiter offered us coffee after our dessert was cleared. It seemed evident he was becoming flustered as the night wore on. We were chummy with the table next to us throughout the meal, talking about our courses and such, so we noticed when the (same) waiter delivered them the check before even bringing their dessert. They were definitely taken aback and inquired/reminded with him about course number three. The rest of our service garnered no complaints and the meal was well paced, so maybe the restaurant week crowds were wearing on him?!Regardless, I simply adore Mare for what it is. They bring something entirely different to the North End scene which I can appreciate. Although their organic cuisine comes at a fairly hefty price point, it is nice that the restaurant week deal here mostly measures up.