MARINO RISTORANTE since 1983 - Mario Marino's "Day after Day and Night after Night" Adventures in Eating Part 1.

 I jogged past the restaurant and waved at Mario.    

"What's for lunch?"

"Norwegian cod."

And he got so excited telling me about it's sustainability and excellent taste and the cold water of the Barents Sea and his daily trips downtown to the fish market that two days later I was up at 6 a.m. going with him to see the fun he's having choosing fish for lunch and dinner at Marino.

http://www.marinorestaurant.net

"Everyone likes to eat." I say to him.

"Liking to eat and knowing about food are two different things." he shot back. The morning ride along proved he knows what he's talking about.

Mario's father, Naples-born chef Ciro Marino pioneered Italian food in Los Angeles in 1957 with his VIA VENETO on Sunset Plaza, LA's first outdoor cafe.

MARTONI'S followed in 1960 on Cahuenga in Hollywood, and in 1983, together with his wife Maria, Ciro opened MARINO on Melrose.

Along with his brother Salvatore (whose restaurant
IL GRANO, opened in 1997  http://www.ilgrano.com ) and sister Rosanna, Mario has been educated and trained in choosing food and wine his entire life.

And it's clear he loves what he does because he is always smiling.

Once in the market Mario chooses from tanks of lobsters, just arrived Santa Barbara prawns, swordfish, skate, that star the Norweigan cod, and branzino and tuna and crab and monkfish.

"We can't predict what the weather will do to the prices, but I'll always choose live, fresh, organic ingredients. I'll never serve anybody anything I wouldn't eat myself."

Mario deep in oyster concentration.

Taste of octopus.

The lovely cod.

MARINO'S produce order: boxes of organic tomatoes, fresh romaine, herbs and green beans, all for today.

"I only make so much food a day…all organic, line caught, farm raised. I want MARINO to flourish."

Stay tuned for part 2 and see how Mario's love of fresh food translates into the beauty that appears on the plate.


reservations at MARINO

http://www.marinorestaurant.net/htmldocs/contactus.html