Bar Marco, located on 23rd and Penn in the heart of the Strip District, delivers a fabulous dining experience in a renovated brick firehouse. The food is exceptional; the atmosphere is upscale yet fun and casual; and the staff, who are paid salary rather than gratuity, are knowledgeable and friendly. Needless to say, it comes highly recommended Read on for the details on all the food!
Appies
Focaccia: Diane, the pastry chef, who prepares this bread fresh every morning, was really showing off here. This bread had THE perfect salting on a crunchy crust with the most delicate of insides. Just when you’re eating this and you think the inside is too plain… BOOM, you get hit with hints of rosemary. And not to mention that the olive oil is, simply put, so good and so virgin.
Beets & stracciatella: Now, I can’t say I’m one to have ever enjoyed beets…until today. I actually like these funky red ‘vegetables’ for the first time. Bar Marco made them less earthy and almost fruity (not how I would normally describe a root vegetable). There are strips of mint to offset the earthy; balsamic to bring it all together; fresno chili that is spicy AF; and hand-stretched mozzarella that comes FOF (fresh of the farm). It is a celebration of flavors that I never expected to enjoy. Well done.
Arancini: Who doesn’t like cheese, rice, and pork all fried up in a ball? On top of all that, it’s fried to perfection – thinner than a usual fry but crispier. The cheese is stringy like the way they always show in cheese commercials that makes your mouth water. The red sauce is super sweet and delicious and would make a great pizza sauce @Teddy. The pork resonates in every bite and keeps you coming back for more.
‘This is almost like eating at somebody’s house’ – Mama Diehl
Main
I had to try everyone else’s dish too because they looked so good…
Fettuccine Bolognese: Mama’s choice -Bar Marco makes all their pasta from scratch in-house, and then it is cooked to perfection. This delightful, flatter than usual fettuccini was mixed with their signature sweet red sauce with a smoky sausage.
Osso Buco (aka pork): Teddy’s choice: it falls apart like my mamas Sunday roast. The saffron risotto is awesome, more al dente than usual, and creates the perfect accent to break from the dense meat and gravy.
Squid ink orecchiette: My choice – and a great choice it was. Even though I can’t pronounce these noodles, they looked and tasted delicious. They get their black color from the squid ink, which also adds a nice saltiness to the plate. As with the fettuccine, the pasta here was cooked al dente. The dish, thanks to some added chili, has a kick that lasts. They kept their sweet sauce theme with the saffron, almost giving it a cinnamony flavor as well. Plus it’s creamy and they even put the perfect amount on the dish, not to drown out the pasta. And I can’t forget the main attraction – the lobster, which was tender as the day is long. The chef combines so many different flavors and textures that come together to create one cohesive, extravagant entrée.
Finale – I’m a sucker for dessert…
Toffee pudding: Mascarpone, raspberry, pear stuff. This tastes like soft toffee that melts in your mouth: almost like a delectable brown sugar. And the mascarpone on top? What a way to cut into the sugary flavor. You outdid yourself yet again, Diane. That dessert didn’t stand a chance…
Wine: I got a mix of Merlot and something else (can’t remember lol). I wasn’t too fond of it; it had a stale aftertaste like that of which you would find after drinking a Natural Light. It was almost like a merlot was mixed with a spritzer, not the biggest fan and would be better suited for a summer day on the porch.
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I will definitely be coming back to Bar Marco. The food, staff, and vibes all made my night a wonderful experience. Plus, I have to try the 6 course meal paired with natural wine in their cellar… Go check it out for yourself and see if you like it just as much as I do.
Yinzer Eats. Where Yinzers Eat.
