Marlena is a lovely space and the right idea - unfortunately the execution was at best wanting. Please forgive the following comments as they may seem overly harsh, but I offer them in the hopes that the team can do better.
The service was extremely slow, disjointed, inattentive and amateurish (and this comes from a former fine dining waiter who is quite aware of his own shortcomings in this regard). Our server disappeared for long stretches and my attempts to get attention from the ample staff on the floor were ignored.
Our server did not know the menu -at all- and when we asked questions, she said she would inquire in the kitchen but obviously did not: the pesto she promised with basil was pistachio with zero basil. She did not, however, self-correct upon seeing the pasta and served it anyway. The margherita pizza she promised with no basil was laden with it.
She said she had just been hired, so she didn't know the menu, the food, wine or table positions. As a former (and terrible) waiter, even I don't see how someone like this gets put on the floor without this basic knowledge. However, to say you checked with the kitchen on the ingredients in the pesto when you clearly did not is inexcusable. The floor manager stopped by and acknowledged the error, but that was about it: She was so completely nonplussed with the situation, it didn't even resemble an apology.
Continuing on from the service to the food and libations:
Perhaps I'm wrong, but my impression was that the wine pours were closer to 4 ounces than the standard 6. The wine list is not impressive, although the price points should work for the area (assuming, of course, a proper pour).
The little gem with anchovies was not well-executed: a bunch of little gem lettuce with breadcrumbs and two boquerones. It was bland. Don't promise me boquerones and deliver me a salad that has no flavor or anchovy in the dressing itself. Do yourself a favor and try the equivalent at Liv's on 2nd with fried oysters - it's wonderful. Alternatively, try the great kale Caesars at Olive's or the Attic (both on Broadway).
The octopus with romesco was pretty good: the octopus was very well cooked, but the romesco was gritty and bland - with only a whisper of pimenton.* Cooking octopus this well is to be commended; ham-handed romesco is not. Michael's a few blocks away has (or perhaps had) a better version of a very similar dish.
The focaccia was extremely late - it came around the time the mains came, well after my kids were starving - and bland. As others have suggested, oil and vinegar at minimum are needed.
One kid had the margherita - very nice, with perfect crust - and the other ordered pasta with the pesto. The pesto was gross and sent back as it was not at all as described (see above). The other kid had to share her sister's pizza because the "pesto" on pasta was flat nasty and the service was too slow to get her her own. (Note to parents: they do not have a kids menu or much besides a margherita pizza that kids will eat.)
For the adult's entrees, my wife had the fish: the flesh was tender, but the skin was not crispy and recipe itself was VERY basic and, again, bland.*
I had the pasta with ragu. The pasta was much too thick and the ragu was bland* - marjoram was the predominant flavor.* I make much better pasta and bolognese at home. I recommend skipping the pasta entirely. Angelo's sandwich shop on 2nd has very similar, but MUCH better, pasta and ragu for a fraction of the cost (but no ambiance), whereas Michael's (on Naples only) blows this out of the water (except their lasagna, which is awful).
*A note on "bland": when I say "bland," I mean uninteresting and lacking flavor. However, it is critical to note that ALL of the non-dessert dishes we had were brackish (ie, salty as hell).
The basque cheesecake - which is the dessert du jour literally everywhere (NYT just published the recipe and it is suuuuuuper easy to make: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024483-basque-cheesecake?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share) - is not at all impressive. We got it to go because the service had taken so long and the piece was TINY.
Finally, parking here is pretty unpleasant: there is no valet and I believe the "lot" can only accommodate 4-5 cars. The streets nearby are overflowing with resident cars and finding a spot is quite difficult. They definitely need a valet.
Honestly, the 2 stars (rather than one) is for the space - although I would not go on a cold night as the heaters are inadequate - and the pizza. Absent such beautiful decor and the chef's connection to Evan Funke, this place wouldn't have a chance in hell.
With Michael's nearby and L'Antica coming in up 2nd, without major improvements, I suspect the buzz will wind down and L'Antica will make Marlena an easy walk in with no reservation soon. It is my hope that they use this time to get things straight. read more