Maroni Cuisine in Southold offers private dining
Maria Maroni in the dining room of her new Southold private-dining venue. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
Since it opened in the spring of 2019, Maroni’ Cuisine’s Southold satellite has been navigating the aftermath of chef-founder Michael Maroni’s death and the ever-shifting regulations associated with COVID-19. Now Maria Maroni, who owns both Southold and the Northport original, is building on the former's existing heat-at-home takeout menu with two new features.
"Private dining" barely does justice to what is happening on Tuesday nights at Maroni Southold. Your party of anywhere from 10 to 20 people takes over the whole establishment — bar, dining room, patio — for up to 2½ hours during which you are served the signature Maroni tasting menu. The menu will vary according to the season and to the whims of Jimmy Vasquez (Michael’s former second in command and current chef) but will always comprise about 18 courses including favorites such as lobster bisque, Thai spring rolls, Kobe beef sliders, eggplant Parmesan, chicken Milanese, scallops scaloppine and the signature "million-dollar potato chips" topped with caviar. The price is $200 per person and that includes all food, wine, beer, coffee, tip and tax.
The Southold restaurant is recognizably Maroni-ish — there’s a guitar that once belonged to John Lennon, another one signed by Roger Waters, framed album art from the Beatles’ "Abbey Road" and Pink Floyd’s "Animals," and black-and-white portraits of both the Rolling Stones and Michael Maroni’s mother — but, in contrast to the clubby masculinity of Northport, Southold has a lighter touch: white walls, bare wood and lots of flowers.
"Even when the food is catered," Maria observed, "people are getting sick of entertaining at home. We hope they enjoy this alternative."
She noted that because Maroni in Northport is closed on Tuesday, all the kitchen’s firepower can be focused on Southold. In addition, she's asked the restaurant’s sushi chef, Joseph Bong, to set up shop in Southold on Tuesdays so that she can offer take-away sushi. The menu includes a range of rolls $15 to $20 and a la carte nigiri sushi or sashimi.
Maroni Southold is still offering a menu of "heat at home" specialties that includes meatball pots and trays of chicken Milanese, chicken Parmesan, penne alla vodka, Caesar salad and more. Order ahead on Wednesday to Thursday and pick up Thursday to Saturday.
For more information, or to book or order, call the Northport location at 631-757-4500 or go to maronicuisine.com. Maroni Cuisine is at 54195 Main Rd., Southold.
