Good Eats

Marcelina's Italian Restaurant

‘A Food Vacation’

By Rick Allen • Photos By John Jernigan

A new name for an old classic reflects the current ownership and is worth a discovery. Marcelina’s may even have you feeling like you want to move in!

The Italians have this expression of hospitality: “Mi casa, su casa.” It means literally “my house is your house.” You can’t get more hospitable than that. That’s how I felt visiting Marcelina’s Italian Restaurant on SR 200 not long ago for the first time ever. That I was a guest—no, that I was family.

“This is my second home,” says owner Lendas Marcelina Salamanca. “I grew up here, I live here, my office is here. Everything I will ever need is here. I value this as my home.”

And the door is almost always open. “People come here and spend hours. They can sit here and relax. I like that. I want them to feel at home.” Mi casa, su casa! But here’s the kicker: Marcelina is only 19. “I grew up here,” she says again.

Marcelina was only six when her father, Angelo (“Everybody called him Carmine,” she says) brought the Salamanca family here from Miami. He opened Carmine’s Café in this very spot.

A few years later, he took an interest in the Sunrise Restaurant on South Pine, adding a taste of Italy at sunsets to its all-American morning fare. When I talked with him nine years ago, he suggested that I visit his café on the west side of town. Unfortunately I never made it out—until now. Angelo not long ago returned to Miami to pursue a slower pace.

Meanwhile, Marcelina’s mother, Stella, took over operation of Carmine’s, changed the name to her daughter’s, but kept all the same old recipes. She turned control over to her daughter.

“She did this all for me,” Marcelina says. “You never know what a woman can do until she has to do it. My mom’s like my best friend.”

Marcelina (second from the left) and her staff

WHERE IS IT?: Marcelina’s Italian is the center point in the nondescript Kingsland Plaza. Walk through the door (be sure you’re wearing a face mask) and you walk into a comfortable, homey Mediterranean-style café. My one-time colleague at the Star Banner Emory Schley described walking into Marcelina’s earlier this year as “stepping from one world into a totally different one. Such an atmosphere, as is found inside, makes me think words like ‘elegant,’ ‘luxurious,’ ‘classy.’” And he’s absolutely right.

WHY GO: I struggle with this item every time. After all, why does anyone go to any restaurant but to eat? Yet a significant part of dining out is the immersive experience. It’s long been recognized that we dine out because of the food, the service, and the convenience. Any one can be a determining factor, but if you hit all three, well...

Marcelina’s is certainly convenient to the SR 200 corridor, located as it is across from Pine Run and not far from the On Top of the World main entrance. The service is decidedly personable, and the food is worthy of a drive from much-farther distances. Even my wife, who is not a fan of Italian cuisine, enjoyed herself.

Anthony Epter, a master’s degree candidate at the University of Vermont, described the experience in a 2009 thesis on why people dine out. “Restaurant eating represents a way to escape from routine,” he wrote, “and in essence go on a food vacation.”

BEST TIME TO GO: If you prefer dining in peace, you might try a Thursday or Sunday evening, sometimes even Saturday. These are slow times and you can savor your meal and the ambiance pretty much as long as you wish. It’s Friday nights when the house rocks.

I was surprised not to see pizza on the menu of an Italian house, though. Yes, Marcelina’s does pizza, but only on Wednesday and Thursday nights. So those are the nights if you’re in a mood for pizza.

YOU’LL BE IMPRESSED BY: The sea scallops. These are the best I’ve encountered in many years. “They’re to die for,” Marcelina agrees. It’s easy to overcook scallops, turning them into rubbery mess. Not here. These are tender, moist, and bursting with flavor, pan-seared just right. It’s obvious the chef knows his seafood.

YOU MUST TRY: Not surprisingly, I chose a dessert: the tiramisu. When the slab of this traditional treat was set before me, I was sure I was in for a slog. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This is light and fluffy with an exquisite-yet-subtle coffee flavor and not the least bit heavy. It’s the specialty of long-time staffer Bob Bhojwani.

As far as pre-dessert fare, probably the two most popular dishes are the chicken parmesan and the spaghetti and meatballs, a small platter of pasta and zesty marinara sauce crowned with four tennis ball-size meatballs. You’re likely to take some of your meal home.

FRIENDLY STAFF: Most times there’s only three on duty—Marcelina, Stella, and Bob—and they’re inviting you into their home. On our first visit, a sleepy-quiet Sunday night, Bob was our server.

“I treat my customers like kings and queens,” he says. “That’s why they think I’m the boss.”

He did, and we did—until Stella pointed out that the actual boss wasn’t even there that night.

INSIDER INFO: Though they still use the same recipes as her father a dozen years ago, Marcelina wants to give long-time patrons new reasons to return. She’s been tweaking the sauces for a twist on the traditional tastes. For instance, a honey-based sauce on seared salmon or the alfredo sauce. Now, I’m not a fan of alfredo sauce. To me, it usually tastes like runny bologna. Here it’s cheesy and buttery (“Yeah, we go through a lot of butter,” Marcelina says) and thick enough to stick to fettuccine. “We don’t want the sauce to feel watery,” she says.

Also, Marcelina’s has a large presence on Facebook at “Marcelina’s Italian Restaurant.” Here Stella posts daily specials and a gallery of guest photos. Yup, I’m there! Replies to messages are promptly returned.

Marcelina’s prefers not to take reservations, unless it’s for a large party or near a holiday.

“We like for our guests to take their time and enjoy themselves,” Marcelina says. “We don’t want to have to rush them.”

FINAL WORD: I really didn’t know what to expect when it was suggested I check out Marcelina’s. In years of writing about the Ocala and Marion County culinary landscape, I had failed to visit this eatery before. Frankly, I never put together that the place recommended so many years ago was this one. Big mistake! But at least I know about it now, and I will be back.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? 8810 Southwest SR 200 352-509-7721