Appetizer Crawl - NYC - Part 5

Marseille - French/Mediterranean
630 Ninth Ave @ 44th Street

Marseille, my go-to restaurant in the theatre district.

Hotel Note: Anyone in search of a hotel in this area check out: Distrikt Hotel.

Marseille is a French restaurant with strong Italian, Greek, and North African influences. The food is consistently delicious and the ambiance charming. Plus, it's not unusual to rub shoulders - or napkins - with celebrities. Last citing was the lovely Brooke Shields.

When having dinner, I often order their seafood tagine - monkfish, scallops, shrimp & mussels in a saffron tomato broth with leeks & potatoes. Finger licking good, I swear.

But this trip was a seat at the bar and a couple of appetizers. It was restaurant week in New York City and an item I've never seen on the menu before was their melon carpaccio with shaved porcini, Piave Vecchio, peppercress & candied hazelnuts.

Melon Carpaccio

I've never had shaved melon before. It was melt-in-your-mouth sweetness cut with the nutty flavor of the Piave Vecchio. A cow's milk cheese, it's made in the Dolomites and is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano. And the peppercress, a cousin of watercress, gave the plate a zing and balanced out the sweetness of the candied hazelnuts. A really creative dish.

Saffron Risotto

Also ordered was the saffron risotto with roasted tomato broth and roasted artichokes. I could have had three more servings. The arborio rice was cooked to perfection. Creamy, not too mushy and the roasting really brings out the flavors.

Drop by for lunch, dinner or after theatre and maybe you'll rub napkins with...me!

Bon Appétit!