Top notch cacio e pepe is migrating north in Manhattan.
Mareluna, the intimate Italian eatery in SoHo will expand this week into a newly upgraded space at 46 West 22nd St. Formerly home to neighborhood Italian spot Erbaluce, this expansion of Mareluna will continue the flow of pasta, cocktails and large format dishes in the same space.
Helmed by Executive chef Nick Anson, Mareluna’s menu offers an innovative take on Italian crowd favorites and multi-regional dishes. Expertly-curated abundant seafood options and local produce feature prominently in the dishes. The expansion continues restaurateurs Marco Britti and Andreea Milgram’s mission to create exceptionally curated hospitality experiences that speak to unique points of culture at Mareluna while celebrating Marco’s Italian heritage.
“When I moved to New York nearly 30 years ago, I took a job at a French Bistro at 137 Sullivan Street. When that space came on the market decades later, I knew it was a place to not only establish permanent roots, but share my own, says Britti. “Mareluna has been a very personal journey, creating a concept that was truly reflective of the Italy I love. Being able to expand and share that vision is a proud moment.”
The dining room at Mareluna Flatiron
The Flatiron restaurant will offer favorites from the Mareluna SoHo menu, including starters such as shishito tonnato with bottarga, caper berries, herb crumbs and tonnato sauce; burrata and caramelized figs with fresh burrata flown in weekly from a small producer in Puglia, aged Modenese balsamic reduction, and bruleed figs.On the pasta side, espect dishes like pomodoro fresco with bronze-cut spaghetti, super sweet Datterini tomato imported from Campania, pomodoro elixir, lemon, and basil; and cacio e tre pepe with bucatini, pecorino DOP, and three peppers.
Dishes exclusive to the Flatiron location include some odes to Erbaluce, including crocchette di parmigiana with slow-roasted eggplant, San Marzano tomato, parmesan espuma, and basil; fried artichoke salad with pecorino, mint, arugula, avocado, and lemon vinaigrette; tonno marinato with yellowfin tuna tartare, pimento, olives, horseradish, lemon, and crostini; a large-format half Mediterranean octopus char-grilled with salmoriglio, vino rosso reduction and charred tomato salad; forest mushrooms al tartufo with stuffed gnocchi, black truffle extract, spinach, pine nuts, and aged Parmesan.
Pasta Frutti di Mare at Mareluna Flatiron
Additional large format dishes include lobster termidoro with rigatoni, pressed sauce, San Marzano, Maine lobster crema, and basil; and crispy Italian hot chicken with Calabrian oil, arrabbiata and lemon salad; plus grilled Branzino with crispy fingerlings, roasted peppers, prosciutto, and salsa d’oro.
At brunch, small plates and pastas from the dinner menu are complemented by Panettone french toast with brulee panettone, medley of citrus, candied peels, pistachio, and lavender crème; bistecca all’uovo with locally sourced pasture-raised Flatiron steak, Italian potatoes, sunny eggs, and salsa verde; and a lump crab benedict. A 60-minute bottomless brunch includes bellinis, mimosas, spritzes, Italian Sangria, margaritas, house wines, and Peroni.
Mareluna’s Calabrian Hot Chicken
“Working closely with Marco, and learning family recipes from his mother, gave me a deeper appreciation for regional Italian cuisine,” says Anson, “With the menus at Mareluna, I’ve been able to perfect classics, and implement creative techniques and ingredients from my background. I hope that playful reverence makes for a fun dining experience for our forthcoming diners in Flatiron, as it has in SoHo.”
Mareluna Flatiron will also offer an expansive cocktail program from mixologist Joy Danie. Drinks highlight ingredients used by the kitchen to create harmonious pairings, thanks to house-infused spirits and syrups. House specialties include Aqua Pazza with tequila, campari, grappa, blood orange juice, dill syrup and lime Juice and Aquarella shaken with gin, Italicus, butterfly pea flower, lavender bitters, pink peppercorn and egg white.
Mareluna Flatiron will welcome guests Wednesday-Sunday from 5:00-11:00 pm. Brunch will be available Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am-4:00 pm.