Sometimes it’s nice to take a second and relax. Dinner is one of these times. Recently, the LIB team made it out to Bayside to try the Boro’s best Paella at Marbella’s Restaurant. We were not disappointed!
We noticed something strange, almost extinct at Marbella. Customer walking in and being greeted by name and handshakes. Marbella is a cross section of the diverse community it is located in. Marbella is family owned. There customers are friends of the family. The rapport Marbella has with their customer base is obvious.
Marbella Restaurant is a slice of the old world. They serve traditional, authentic Spanish Mediterranean cuisines made to order. They have stayed true to their Galicia (the region of Spain just north of Portugal) ways. Galician cuisine uses fish and seafood. It makes sense, you eat what is local to you. The Galician area is bordered by Atlantic Ocean to the to the west and the Cantabrian Sea to the north and over 1,000 miles of coastline, so fish is defiantly on the menu.
Chiporenes
Our first foray into this rich area’s history was an appetizer called Chiporenes. Grilled Calamari tossed in an Iberian Olive Oil served with a spicy Fra Diavolo sauce. This dish was beautifully simple and exceptionally prepared. Food like this feeds my soul.
Avocado stuffed with Seafood
We also enjoyed the Avocado stuffed with seafood. I hate using certain types of terms but it is the best way to describe it. OMG it was amazing. The dressing was a light citrus and not overpowering. The seafood was fresh and presentation impeccable. It could have been dinner by itself.
The Piéce de Résistance was Paella Valenciana. This is the type of dish I love to sample. From what I understand most paella dishes are meat based. Marbella’s does serve it, but the Valenciana includes the traditional meat based plus seafood. It is amazingly complex and hearty. The rice had a beautiful sticky quality mixed with pork, shrimp, lobster tails, scallops and other shellfish. Just an amazing combination. We paired the paella with a sweet sangria. To our surprise the suited waiter brought a ceramic pitcher, filled it to our specifications and served. They made it tableside! Great touch.
Paella Valenciana served in a Socarrat
For desert (what’s dinner without it) we had a decedent custard filled crepe. They flambéed citrus with Grand Marnier and drizzled the syrupy mixture over the crepe and vanilla ice cream. The flambé was once again done tableside. It was like dinner and a show.
Flambéed Crepe made tableside
What sets Marbella Restaurant apart is the entire experience. It seems like every decision they make is made with the customer in mind. That is a refreshing thought. They tableside cook as much as possible. The wait staff are all wearing suits and very friendly. The linens are immaculate. Even the artwork adorning the walls or the beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling speak volumes. Marbella’s has an elegant old world charm to it.
Hungry? Crepe and ice cream
Marbella Restaurant has three ballrooms also! They can accommodate parties of up to 80, 170 and 250 guests. This is a great alternative to halls like Astoria Manor or Leonard’s.
In my humble opinion, Marbella’s is one of the best restaurants I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating at.
