Maroni Cuisine in Northport adds a la carte menu
Grandma Maroni's spaghetti and meatballs at Maroni Cuisine in Northport. Credit: Daniel Brennan
Breaking: For a limited time only, Maroni Cuisine is adding an a la carte option to its heretofore tasting-menu-only dinner service.
The Northport restaurant has been famous for its tasting menu since shortly after Maria and the late Michael Maroni opened it in 2001. Unlike many modern chef’s tasting menus that comprise tiny, artfully composed plates, Maroni's has always been a wedding-worthy onslaught of generous servings — lobster bisque, Kobe beef sliders, elaborate sushi rolls, chicken (or wild boar) Milanese or Parmesan, spaghetti with the meatballs that bested Bobby Flay’s in a 2007 episode of Food Network’s "Throwdown," and, always, the signature "million-dollar potato chips" topped with caviar and crème fraîche. Depending on the day of the week, the 18 to 20 dishes cost $140 to $195 per person, which includes food, drinks, tax and tip.
"The tasting is amazing," Maria Maroni said. "But some people don’t want to eat that much food, and some people can’t afford it. I’d been thinking about this for a while but I was just afraid to do it until now."
The a la carte menu features most of Maroni’s greatest hits: Kobe sliders with potato tots ($22 for two), lobster bisque with aged Cognac ($19), shrimp scampi ($26), the million-dollar chips ($40 for four), rainbow roll (crab, avocado, cucumber, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, $25), Milaneses and Parmesans ($33 to $55 depending on the meat), penne alla vodka ($27) and a shiny red pot of spaghetti and meatballs ($30). Wines and dessert vary from night to night.
Million-dollar potato chips topped with caviar at Maroni Cuisine in Northport. Credit: Daniel Brennan
Maroni quietly started offering the a la carte menu earlier this month and, she said, "the feedback has been great." She loves the idea of attracting new customers, but she wants to make sure that her existing customers don’t abandon the tasting menu. "This whole business model — our payroll, our rent — was built on the tasting menu," she said. "It’s going to take me a little while to see how this works."
For now, the a la carte menu will be offered through the end of June every night that the restaurant is open but, on Saturdays, only the first seating at 4 p.m. will have that option.
Maroni Cuisine, 18 Woodbine Ave., Northport, 631-757-4500, maronicuisine.com. Open Wednesday to Saturday from 4 p.m. to closing.
