02/23/08

Hugely Disappointing!

by jackmschatz

Having seen Chef Casella on television programs and read the many favorable reviews, the four of us were looking forward to an exciting, well-prepared meal that reflected the flavors, spirit and generosity of Tuscany. The reality of our meal was that all four in our party were served small, stingy portions of under-seasoned food, forced to choose from an extortionist, top-heavily-priced wine list and had to be subjected to our server's oft-repeated requests to order more wine and bottled water. "Short Ribs" (plural on the menu) turned out to be one small short rib (singular on the plate), the organic egg and pancetta salad was miniscule and the gelato scoops were tiny. And when Chef Casella (in street clothes and not in his chef's working outfit) stopped at our table for the traditional "how's it going?" and we told him about the tiny, overpriced, under-seasoned portions, he offered no explanation, apology or accommodation. In fact, he ignored our table on his subsequent visits to the tables around ours. Save your money and energy for restaurants and restaurateurs who really care about their customers and deliver on their promise of hospitality and value.

01/08/08

Cozy & Comfy

by qtgurljny

Italian food in a rustic, kind of country setting. Unpretentious and painted in bold colors, the ambience is nice and welcoming. Our waiter was animated and attentive, staff was friendly. There were good wine offerings. The food was good but, not mind-blowing. I had the Portomo, a deviled egg, arugala salad which was good and the spicy grilled shrimp which was excellent. The short ribs were slightly on the fatty side and smaller portioned. Fries and dipping sauce was good. Overall, I think the food was good, wine was excellent and do recommend it.

01/03/08

montezuma's revenge (and small portions)

by mfinnegan33

the food was tasty but the portions were small. that was the least of my worries with Maremma however. this restaurant gave me and 1 other person at my table food p*isoning. we each had the mussels appetizer and both were suffering from chronic bowel movements and nausea within 12 hours. and this is someone whom i hadn't dined with in several months (none of the other 3 people at our table touched the mussels and they were fine). so if you want to miss a few days of work and stretch your bowels to the limit, then please go to Maremma. there are thousands of other restaurants in NYC that serve comparable or better food but won't make you sick.

• Pros: ambience
• Cons: makes you sick for 2+ days

12/03/06

I can dig it

by splashkpl

I had dinner here last night with friends. 3 people on a saturday nite at 9:30 with no reservation. We were told the wait would be 30-45 mins so we had some drinks at the bar. 15 mins later we were seated upstaris. There was a draft which was a little annoying but no big deal. Waitress was good although she seemed very busy (read:unattentive) and forgot to bring ice for our white wine. Sloppy Guiseppe was very good. Gniocchi was realllllllllly good. I had the seafood stew which was just OK. My friend has the specials. Lamb shank which was HUGE! and very good. Also the Pork Tenderloin which was also really good. Shared the asparagus (very nice) and fries (nothign special). Ovall a nice meal. Good for soemthing a little casusal. Noise level was hugh in a good way.

• Pros: appetizers, short wait
• Cons: service was so-so

11/15/06

What a find!

by elliem

On a block with no other restaurants in sight, this is a hidden little gem. Inside, the restaurant boasts decor and an ambiance that makes you feel relaxed right away, and the service at the bar before we sat down to dinner was excellent. There are two floors, both decorated in a cool, modern style, with large tables. The server at our dinner table wasn't quite as good (she seemed a bit overworked, as if there weren't enough other servers to help her out). I think it was mostly the atmosphere and location that won me over, though the food was excellent.

• Pros: ATMOSPHERE and decoration
• Cons: waitress a little distracted, loud group seated behind us in main dining room

10/26/06

worst gnocci ever

by mieka

The gnocci was nothing more than pototo mush. It was also tasteless. It's really unacceptable for the restaurant to overcook the pasta given the price it charges and the fact that it is supposed to specialize in Italian cooking. The appetizers such as the lamb meatballs and sausage with lentils were ok but nothing extraordinary. The pasta with chocolate-boar sauce sounded interesting but also didn't have much taste. It was quite bland. I agree with the reviewer "truly disappointing" that this place is disappointing.

• Pros: ambiance
• Cons: food

07/17/06

Lupa watch out

by lovedamonkeybeak

I have no idea what Truly Disappointing is talking about. The gnocchi was amazing-perfectly cooked, soft and perfectly dressed with a light touch of Parmessan. The main courses were to die for (I had a slow cooked whole baby pork). The waitress was outstanding. If any of you have HD channels, watch out for Maremma on Daniel Bouloud's show "After Hours".

07/06/06

Maremma Che Buono

by acc100

Went here the other night, and it was very enjoyable. The waitress was excellent, and there is a nice wine selection from the Maremma region. All of the dishes we had were very good, but the fries were a little on the salty side, which we actually didn't mind. Desserts were also good, especially the coconut tapioca. A nice change from other restaurants in the neighborhood.

• Pros: Service, customer attention from owner

05/14/06

Nice Change of Pace Italian

by discerningd

Give credit to Maremma for trying something different on the Italian cuisine. I had the goat special which was terrific and generous. Companionn's fish was perfectly cooked. Apps are smallish but flavors were all clean and presentations/preparations not overly fussy.

The room disappoints a bit, managing to be cold despite the colorful walls--at least upstairs. If it had been more full it proably would have been noisy and/or hot. Service was nice, not overly hovering nor absent-minded. If only for the constantly crying baby on the first floor.

Another thumbs up for an improvment over Beppe which had really gone downhill.

• Pros: Food quality, Comfortable service
• Cons: Room discomfort

05/04/06

So glad I live nearby...

by misscarolinenyc

I read about it in New York Magazines Best issue today and went tonight since it is so close to home. The service was outstanding!..The food was unique, full of flavor and just enough. We left feeling satisfied and enjoyed the beautiful walk home on West 10th.

• Pros: service, ambiance, menu