At Marino’s, it’s all about the pasta. Well, it’s also all about the cheesy garlic bread, and the pizza, and the salads, and the … For a small restaurant, there’s a lot that it’s all about.
Of course, it starts with the ambience — the comfortable welcome Marino’s offers guests as they walk through the courtyard patio and into the dining room. Open and airy, evoking al fresco dining even inside with a canopy of vine-covered trellises, strategically placed mirrors amplifying the greenery without letting it overpower the space, and Arizona’s famous indoor-outdoor design style reinforced by the vine-patterned wallpaper.
Owner Ron Marino explains he and his wife did more than plan the décor when they opened a year ago — they had an opportunity unusual in second-generation mall space to effect a floor-up renovation, as the space was never previously a restaurant. A key aspect of their planning is bookending the restaurant with the bar at one side and the exhibition kitchen at the opposite side. “No one is ever out of the action,” Marino notes.
It’s a fully scratch kitchen, and the cheesy garlic bread is one of its great accomplishments. This small loaf of focaccia is stuffed with mozzarella that melts all through it, making it soft inside but crusty on top. Add to the decadence by spreading it with the accompanying marinara or truffle honey ricotta.
Among the salads is the Roasted Candied Beets, a flavorful combination of red and yellow beets, avocado, arugula and goat cheese, served with a creamy vinaigrette and a dusting of crushed pistachios. Salmon is among options for adding protein, served with a seared “crust” and tender inside.
La Casa Alfredo is among the most popular pasta dishes. This is made with tagliatelle pasta and a smooth, creamy alfredo sauce with shaved Parmesan cheese. Sausage is one of the choices for adding protein. Another popular pasta dish is Short Rib Ravioli, ravioli filled with cheese and shredded short rib that’s been simmered for 48 hours, served with a port wine reduction and porcini cream sauce.
Pizzas show some seasonal variation. For instance, The Greek was added for the fall menu as eggplant came into season; this pizza’s toppings also include Kalamata olives and feta cheese.
Sandwiches are notable on the lunch menu (and are absent from the dinner menu that, instead, features a few larger entrée items whose longer preparation times make them less appropriate for a lunch menu). These range from meatball to chicken parm, and, of course, a hamburger a la Marino style (pictured on this page).
No self-respecting Italian restaurant would be without its tiramisu to end a meal on a sweet note, but Marino’s is especially sweet and notable, built on super-moist lady fingers and served with honeycomb.
The restaurant experiences a daily metamorphosis, as its daytime laid-back ambience becomes much more electric after dark.
Marino’s Italian Kitchen and Bar
Desert Ridge Marketplace
21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix
(480) 247-8660
 The Greek Paccheri Bolognese
Beef ragu slow-simmered with San Marzano tomatoes, mirepoix and rosemary, tossed with fresh paccheri pasta and topped with parmigiano Reggiano $23 |
 Braised Short Rib
Eight-hour slow-cooked short rib paired with roasted carrots and cipollini onions topped with a red wine demi-glaze served over creamy polenta $32 |
 Marino’s Burger
Grilled half-pound blended cut patty topped with caramelized onion, aged white cheddar, butter lettuce, tomato and a special sauce, served between toasted brioche buns $18 |
Photos courtesy of Marino’s Italian Kitchen and Bar
