Posted on March 1, 2009 - by Enoteca

Yelp Reviews

Excerpts from Yelp Reviews

I have been to Sicily, twice; Naples, twice; Rome three times; Agrigento and Ragusa once, and Enoteca Maria for the first time last week. My visit to this eatery was like going back to Italy! The food was great and fresh and original and simply divine. The eggplant dish (appetizer) was unbelievably rich and tasty. The home Anti pasta was a palate pleaser, texture so fine, if food could be silk, this Antipasta was the “bomb.” My main entree, the baked fish, was just so original, so native, no home cooked, that I thought of my Puerto Rican great grandmother’s cooking…… Italian – Puerto Rican? Yeah, they are both “LATIN!” – our languages that is…. The dessert was the pear fruit cake, OMG! The bill was about 100.00 for two, but the price was well worth it (my dinner guest had two entrees!, a great wine and a vinaigrette, pear, salad, to DIE FOR!!!! ) . I can’t give this place Five Stars, because to do so would place it in Heaven, and I want this place to stay on Earth.
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I used to live on Central Ave when this place first opened. I never visited it until last night. My best friend and I sat at the two stools at the bar. (We always prefer to be served at the bar; more of an at home experience). The decor which consists of exposed brick walls, iron antiques on the walls and counters, and extensive wine selections makes the place unlike any other.
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Our meal last Saturday was unbelievable, and Joe’s wine recommendations elevated the already delicious food. This might have been the best meal I enjoyed in a very long time. Great food, tremendously full wines, good prices and a staff truly making it a memorable visit. Even though I was stuffed, I couldn’t resist asking for an order of white bean and sausage soup to go (for lunch the next day).
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I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my two trips to Enoteca Maria. My interest had long been piqued by the concept behind the place where six Italian grandmothers take turns in the kitchen so that every night restaurant patrons enjoy traditional home cooking from a different region of Italy! It thus pays to do research and look up the restaurant’s website as to which grandmother is cooking the day of your visit, and what the menu will be like.
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This place is so unique, and I am happy to see the addition to the community there. They literally hire Italian ladies who love to cook, and on the night that they are cooking, THEY are the head chef. There is proof of this through the open kitchen where you can see these cute ladies hard at work (on an electric stove no less)! The result: feeling like you were invited to a dinner at someones lovely home. Even down to the serving dishes, it feels so homey. The food is quite delicious, as the menu offers traditional italian dishes that were most likely their own recipes.
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I love this place. It is simple and beautiful. The food is not simple but beautifully presented. There are different chefs–so the menu varies–like home-cooking with the same surprises. I like this idea as I never know what the meal will be like, as oppposed to my normal favorite restaurants where I can’t wait for a particular dish.

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