Marciano's Pizza Pasta Steaks

It's my Uncle's birthday and the original plan was to eat at Chili's Greenbelt 5 but unfortunately and the usual, we've waited for almost 30 minutes. So since we were all hungry we decided to eat to a different restaurant. 

We went to Greenbelt 3 and storlled until we picked a place to eat. And We saw "Marciano's : Pizza Pasta Steaks". It was intimidating at first but once we looked at the menu and saw Pizza and Pasta, we knew the kids and ofcourse Me would love the place. 

The reception was very welcoming and very accommodating. She called a few of her crew and fixed us a long table. We were 16 and with the place that big, they were able to put together a long table. Good JOB! 

Marciano's was inspired by the greatest Italian-American boxer who proved that dreams do come true.The fine dining restaurant had a black vintage looking theme. Very intimate and classic. They had a TV which shows an Elizabeth Taylor Movie. Those beautiful black cushion with silver frame was so comfy to sit on. Floors were clean. I love the idea of chandeliers (which looked a little dirty but not that obvious) and red curtains (which had a few spider webs) that they use to avoid looking at other tables,though I don't know why they just had them on one side. The plates were a bit off though, I think those were ceramic plates, they were heavy but they looked dirty (I don't know if it's because it's been used dozens of times or the light was too dark that they were not really giving out the color). Their centerpieces were not really that exciting. It's just a vase with a red liquid where they just light up a candle and it's done. The silverware were clean and their glasses were typical. 

When it comes to clothing, servers wear black, I don't know if there was a manager coz we haven't met one. I always say this, if you see that there are a few guests inside, it's a proper etiquette to greet each guest and ask how's the food and asks for some feedback. But that didn't happen. Some of the servers were aloof and never put up a smile on us which I think is a big NO! NO!

There were no restrooms inside so if you guys want to use the restroom, you can ask the servers were to go. 

So we sat down, Bugsy Siegel gave us some menu books. He was very patient, knowing that we were 16, he was patient and kind to wait for us until we've decided. He was able to recommend some of their specialties and knew what we wanted even though we were in total chaos. While looking at the menu, I noticed that their food items have creative names inspired by old Hollywood glam. I find that adorable and funny at the same time. 

ORDERS:

SALADS:

Caesar Salad - P  228.00 - Plating was in those cute bowls which I adore. The salad had Huge leaves of Romaine Lettuce (which were too big to fit in your mouth), croutons and caesar dressing and parmesan cheese. Nothing too special about it. It's a normal salad. I like the croutons though. 

Marciano's Signature - P 289.00 - This is by far the best salad I've ever tasted, the combination of  sherry vinegar, a little splash of Balsamic and provolone cheese and the saltiness of prosciutto, candied walnuts and pears are just to die for! I love this salad you guys need to have this! My two-thumbs up salad! A must try!

Autumn in New York - P 288.00 - I am not a fan of Honey Balsamic dressing it's too sour for me. This salad had shrimp, squid and grapes and romaine lettuce. Grapes were sweet and squid and shrimp were tender and easy to bite into. Not a  bad combination, it's the dressing that ticks me off!

If you order a salad, I suggest you to ask them to cut the leaves into bite sizes because the one we had were huge. But then you can always cut these leaves with your dinner knife. 
STEAKS:

Goldman Sachs - P 1,788.00 - It's a platter of Shrimp, steaks, Baked Mussles, Potato wedges and roasted vegetables (Zucchini, leeks and bell peppers).The steak was tender, the shrimp was flavorful (but it wasn't fresh), Baked mussels were huge and baked just right, vegetables were al dente I haven't tried roasted leeks, they're very tasty. Potato wedges was a bit salty. Presentation was ok. Nothing too fancy.

T- Bone - P918.00 - The T-bone steak was too boring! There were nothing that amazed me with this dish. It was a typical steak matched with mashed potato. Yes, it was tender and obviously my brother preferred a medium rare but it was boring. I wasn't satisfied or happy with the mashed potato because it was too dry so we had to add their steak sauce onto the mashed potatoes and it tasted a little better. Plating was ok, there were not a lot of colors in this dish except for the asparagus which popped a green color from the dish. I won't be ordering this dish again.

PIZZAS:

Bendel's Margherita Pizza - P 308.00 - They have the thinest crust I've ever seen. It's so thin that I call it "The crispy Pizza!". My family is a big fan of Margherita Pizza. Simple yet tasty flavors when combined. I love the mozzarella Cheese and tomato. Presentation is normal. Served in a big round plate. 

Adam Sandler Four Cheese - P 388.00 - With Pomodoro, Gorgonzola, provolone and mozzarella. Not a bad combination for cheeses. Normal. Good. Topped with thinly sliced basil leaves. 

PASTAS:
Joe Dimaggio Beef Stroganoff - P 328.00 - The beef was tender and the creamy sauce was flavorsome. I liked this pasta, if there's something to recommend this would be the dish! I love the simple plating, colors and flavor from the bellpeppers and the thin slices of beef. There was a certain taste of the dish that made this dish my two-thumbs-up of the day! 

Studio 54 Shrimp and Italian Sausage - P328.00 - They said this was one of their best sellers so we had to have it.Spaghetti with Olive oil, shrimp and sausages basically. I wasn't that pleased with this dish, but I guess if you want a healthy and simple meal you should order this one. 

Central Park Carbonara - P 288.00 - It's a normal carbonara, it tastes good. The bacon bits were amazing. The pasta was al dente, the creamy sauce was ok and flavorful. It's a typical Carbonara dish. 

BEVERAGES:

Mango Shake - P158.00 

Watermelon Shake - P158.00

Strawberry, Banana and Lychee - P188.00

 I would like to thank our two servers Bugsy Seigal and Reese who are very patient with me and my family. Two thumbs up to Ms. Reese for wearing high heals while carrying those heavy plates and knowing she has a model type of body! She definitely could use a raise! Nice job there! 
All in all it was ok. I like Marciano's Pasta and Pizza dishes. I'm glad I was able to dine in this restaurant. Very elegant and classic. A little too pricey for a small serving. I'd give them 3 stars out of 5. 
My uncle was happy. Thanks to Marciano crew for singing a happy birthday to my uncle. It was obvious that you guys don't really sing or offer those things but I'm very glad you guys made an effort! Thank You!

Happy Birthday Tiyo Nardo!

 We love you! 

Eat HAPPY Everyone!!
Kwaizz miya miya!!


Yours Truly,
Zielle a.k.a Fat Girl




Marciano's : Pizza Pasta Steaks
2nd Level, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati
7290467
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marcianos/149716768261?sk=info

My father's Birthday!

I was about 6 years old and I was living in a small apartment which was provided for us when we we’re still living in Libya. I remember the smallest kitchen ever, we had the smallest oven, refrigerator, toaster and etc. And my Dad taught me how to bake cookies in our tiny oven. I was very little (literally..)then my mom would be the one doing the mixture, then me and my dad would prepare all kinds of shapes of cookie cutters, star shape, square, triangle, heart.. It was very cute.. While mom is doing the mixture, Me and my dad would draw and he would teach me how to stoke crayons and be well on it. Maybe that’s why I want colors when it comes to my dishes.

            Now that I am turning 24, It brings back memories, I dreamed about it. Today is my father’s birthday.. And I am mixed with different feelings. My dad is unfortunately in Libya where his boss wants them to inspect and fix everything that’s happening to their company’s projects.

            But even if we are very far apart we make sure that we communicate from time to time. And since it’s my father’s birthday, we decided to go to TriNoma and celebrate it with Italianni’s Restaurant.

            Not only because it was Christmas it was also the weekends and there were a lot of people shopping, roaming around and eating and enjoying. Since I knew where the restaurants were, I decided to take them to Italianni’s. When we got there, there were no tables that were available and clean, so the receptionist said to sit down and wait. She was pretty and neat but she wasn’t that accommodating, she just waited for the tables to be cleaned and have us seated right away. The usual introduction of our server, soup of the day and “Thank You Ma’am Sir, Enjoy your Meals”, not smiling she was on an off mood (I suppose).blah blah blah.

            See this is what I hate the most, I write things about Restaurants and the service they provide, since it’s a class a type of restaurant I expect a worthy service for a worthy price. Is that too much to ask? I was trained to speak my mind and treat every guests equally and fairly. I mature in the teachings of my professor with the saying “THE CUSTOMERS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT!”. We offer good food and best service we can possibly can because CUSTOMERS pay us for it! It’s our Job! 

Continuation…

            So as we sat on our comfortable chairs and as soon as the receptionist handed the menus.. I put it down and looked around. Italianni’s is one of the most marvelous restaurants I’ve ever been. It’s incredible structure and architecture is to die for. Displays of so many pictures of old Italian families, pots and trays that are made of wood and Italian words that are painted to the walls.  The whole set up had an Italian field and atmosphere to it. You can relax with your family and enjoy. 

Our server was not of help at all… He doesn’t smile nor laugh nor greets us whole-heartedly. He was just there standing, looking like he can’t wait for his shift to end. He looked tired and very inappropriate. His clothes were dirty and so as his apron. I asked him what are their specialties, and he wasn’t able to answer right away. So I became the server on our table. Asked each and everyone what they like and try to tell them what’s on every dish, good thing on the menu there’s an individual description. Ha! (admit it guys we sometimes are lazy to read that but come to think of it, why read if the server knows what’s in it! Anyways as soon as we each have what meal to have, I wrote it down and gave it to our server who wasn’t much of a help.

            It was my first time to come to Italianni’s TriNoma branch usually I dine in at Robinson’s Manila or at Gateway.. Plus my family is a big fan of pizzas and pastas. So it’s obvious we had to pick Italianni’s.

On our tables:

Appetizer :    Basket of Bread (Foccacia Bread)dipped in a olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. This serves as a “while you wait appetizer”  and it is free.

                        Insalata Milano P495.00 – This salad has Salami Milano, romaine, black olives, tomatoes, grabanzos, parmesan cheese and it’s dressing Italian vinaigrette. The saltiness of the salami and cheese mixed with the Italian vinaigrette blends very well. It’s a great combination of flavors. Just an advise, order water just to numb the taste of the salad, so that you can still feel and taste the flavors of your main course.

Main Course : Beef TenderloinP995.00 – I was really upset with this dish. We wanted the tenderloin to be cooked medium rare and well done. I don’t know how they define Medium rare in their kitchen, what they served us was really off. It was Rare. Yes it was seared but it had 75% red through the centre. Medium rare is seared but it should be 50% red on the center.  The one they gave us had a gel-like texture, more likely eating a raw meat! Yuck!  Fortunately, the well- done steaks were 100% brown but still tender. I can taste the black pepper corn sauce and my brother likes the mashed potatoes and there was a side dish which is mixed vegetables that was topped with cream based sauce with cheese.

                     Grilled Pork Chops  (2 chops)P695.00- Now here’s a good main dish, I like the tenderness of the chops and its pepper-crust with black peppercorn sauce. Ofcourse the usual served with seasonal vegetables, crispy fried spinach and garlic rice. Very pinoy I might add. This was my mom's choice.. Again Mothers knows best.

            Grilled Pepper Fish Fillet P575.00 - Grilled Cream Dory fillet seasoned with black pepper and served with either mashed potatoes or pasta coated with olive oil then on the side you have there the tomato cream sauce with mixed vegetables. A very healthy yet tasty meal. My godmother ordered one.

            And as for me.... I had the Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillet (Regular) P595.00 - Cream Dory coated with Parmesan Cheese and Breadcrumbs, served with their amazing and delicious caper cream sauce, mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables. Two thumbs and definitely a recommendation. A must-try dish.

            As you can see me and my family loves dining out especially during special occasions. All their dishes were a little pricy, and their service was really bad. As soon as we were done with our meal, my sisters were complaining about their service, how raw the meat was. It was painfully disappointing.  The place was good (no! the best set up!)Food? (it was ok…)SERVICE? VERY BAD!

            Thanks everyone for reading.. Have a nice day…

Eat HAPPY Everyone!!

Kwaizz miya miya!!

Yours Truly,

Zielle a.k.a Fat Girl