MARZANO’S RISTORANTE is better. The simpler, the better! Like most of my family, I don’t use cookbooks. I cook by taste.” For our antipasto, we tried his signature Crab-o-Cado, a visually stunning arrangement of jumbo lump crab ceviche appetizer served in avocado halves, accompanied with thinly sliced strawberries and drizzled with balsamic. Guido told us it was a dish he created for himself one night, and it tasted so good he decided to put it on the menu. For our pasta course, we enjoyed another special—Tortolloni stuffed with spinach, ricotta, and sun-dried tomatoes in a light basil cream sauce. Our entrées were a perfect surf and turf match. Eve’s eyes opened wide as our server fileted a fresh Bronzino tableside (Dover sole and orata, also known as gilt-head seabream, are also available). Served with roasted potatoes and sautéed broccoli, zucchini, and carrots, it was exquisite. My Osso Buco, served with haricots verts, car-
rots, and mashed potatoes, was also a treat. We’d have to wait for another visit to enjoy other Chef Guido favorites, such as the relatively rare Arancini, an appetizer of rice balls mixed with ground beef and mozzarella cheese, with marinara on the side; Burrata, a plate of fresh mozzarella cheese and heirloom tomatoes topped with shaved Parmesan; Melanzane Parmigiano, made with Japanese eggplant, which Guido asserts is much better because it’s not bitter; and Vitello Milanese, the classic lightly breaded veal medallions, served with arugula, tomatoes, and shaved Parmesan; and his legendary artichoke appetizer. (Don’t ask. Just order it. We’ve had it before. Amazing!) But when asked for his favorite menu item, Guido laughs and doesn’t hesitate. “That’s easy. Pastry. My aunt, Anna Presta, is my pastry chef. She’s incredible!” So we passed up her rich Lovers’ Spoon Cake, her enticing tarts (chocolate, pistachio, or Limoncello),
Triple Chocolate Mousse, Crème Brûlée Cheese Cake, and Limoncello Mascarpone, opting instead for the divine Pineapple Coconut Cake and Peanut Butter Cheese Cake. Needless to say, we left Marzano’s very happy, fully expecting a return visit. Named after the prized Neapolitan tomatoes considered the tomatoes of choice for the best-flavored tomato sauce, Marzano Ristorante delivers a superb dining experience—simple, unpretentious, accommodating. It’s the perfect setting, after a busy week or troubling day, to chase those clouds away. Marzano Ristorante is located at 309 Old York Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046; 215-277-7480; www.marzanoristorante.com. Open for lunch and dinner. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Reservations accepted. Extensive catering opportunities: weddings, showers, parties, corporate luncheons.
RISING SUN INN terol, high in iron, and free of antiobiotics and steroids. He says, “It’s America’s original red meat. It’s what beef wants to be.” He enjoys substituting bison for the other red meat in appetizers like Buffalo Pot Stickers, served with sweet Thai chili sauce, and in specials like Bison & Crab, which offers petite bison tenderloin steak topped with jumbo lump crab meat, mushrooms, lemon butter, and demi-glace. But the specialty of the house, which we enjoy each visit, is Sautéed Medallions of Bison “Champignon,” served with a brandied mushroom demi-glace over a wild rice blend with traces of carrots and pineapple. In addition to an eight-ounce gluten-free Grilled Bison Filet Mignon served with béarnaise sauce, and gluten-free Braised Bison Pot Roast served with a horseradish demi-glace, the regular menu also features Smoked Buffalo Tenderloin Plate, drizzled with truffle oil and served with brie, capers, onions, and horseradish cream on flatbread crackers; Blackened Buffalo Burger Garden Salad; Pappardelle Bolognese (with ground buffalo replacing ground beef in a savory garlic and basil marinara); and Baked
Buffaloaf, leaner than your grandma’s meatloaf, served with mashed potatoes and topped with demi-glace. But as much as Eve and I love the smooth, lean taste of bison, that’s not the only story at Rising Sun Inn. Fred Duerr is a classically trained chef who also loves German food (not a bad idea in Pennsylvania German country!). He has worked side by side with two fine mentors, Horst Herold, former owner of the famed Century House, and, more importantly, with legendary Chef Tell Erhard, one of America’s pioneering television chefs. Taking a cue from his mentor—as he did at his Vernfield Station restaurant, which featured traditional and Pennsylvania German cuisine for several years (the German Sausage Platter Trio is a recurrent special on the inn’s menu)—Fred has become a regular guest chef on WFMZ, Allentown TV69’s “News at Sunrise.” He appeared on the show recently to share his recipe for Buffalo Chili, another popular recurrent special at the restaurant. The Rising Sun Inn also offers a wide range of dishes to satisfy any appetite. During our most recent visit, our continued back on page 69
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