Mariano's Ristorante -- VisitingNewEngland
Mariano's Ristorante: Finding the Ideal Italian Restaurant in
Pepperell, Mass.
Proof that sometimes
the
best places to eat are located in the most unlikely places
Mariano's
Ristorante.
Article, photos (unless otherwise
noted) by Eric Hurwitz
created for VisitingNewEngland.com on 5/10/2023. Find us on Twitter: @newenglandinfo
The North End of Boston, Mass. gets
most of the attention for outstanding Italian dining out spots in
Massachusetts. Restaurant
goers, however, should also consider trekking to the north end of
eastern-central Massachusetts to feast on some of the best Italian food
in the state.
Mariano's Ristorante in Pepperell, Mass. is that kind of place. With
full credit to owners Al and Pam Mariano and their team, this former
bank building has been transformed into a cozy, welcoming restaurant
with a full balance of wonderful dining appeal. For starters, the
made-from-scratch authentic flavors coming out of the kitchen yield the
type of traditional Italian foods we dream of but rarely find in the
suburbs. Kudos to the staff for not taking short cuts, focusing on
sourcing high quality ingredients and tapping into years of culinary
experience
to
make the flavorful dishes virtually jump out of the plates with
full-bodied tastes.
Irresistible: The Eggplant Rollatini features thinly sliced
eggplant, ricotta, mozzarella provolone, parmesan and signature
marinara sauce.
"This food is as good as in the North End," said Salvatore DeLorenzo,
chief operating officer of the Mariano Restaurant Group (MRG) that also
owns The
Alamo in Brookline, N.H. and Bailey's Bar & Grille in Townsend,
Mass. "People who
have been to Italy tell us we hold up well as compared to what they
have tasted (in Italy). That's the ultimate compliment."
"Meat-a-ball"
appetizer with marinara sauce, fresh basil, ricotta and toasted garlic
bread. Photo credit: Mariano Restaurant Group.
What's more, the intimate but casual dining environs appeal to all
walks of life whether it be a date night out, business gathering or a
family and/or friends get together. The atmosphere is instantly
likable, the service
friendly and efficient, food delicious and abundant, and the prices
offering good
value for the money.
Strawberry
feta salad with baby spinach, fresh strawberries, red onion, candied
walnuts, fried feta cheese and honey Dijon glaze.
"The guy who drive a Mercedes can eat here just as much as the guy who
fixes it," said Salvatore.
"Everyone knows someone here," added Pam Mariano. "It's like the
'Cheers' of Pepperell."
Upon entering Mariano's, a full view of the dining
room and bar reveal a cozy place that feels so right...
Dining room and bar (just before opening time).
For starters, the brick oven behind
the handsome long bar immediately grabs attention with its continuous
flames, subtle smoky aroma and a rustic yet majestic
appearance.
Wood-fired oven.
A
spontaneously
smiling waitress (incredible and rare in this day of age!) carries out
a heaping dish of chicken parm that looks even better than those
staged, larger-than-life photos and videos presented on television food
shows. The thing is, this isn't staged but rather a daily, naturally
occurring scene at Mariano's.
The ceiling fans with orange lighting, black bar chairs, wine glasses hanging from the ceiling, stone tile floors,
brown wooden tables, black and white walls, white dishes with checkered
design and well-placed, pleasing plant life all adds up to delightful
Italian
restaurant eye candy. It's not the old school Italian restaurant scene
with checkered table cloths and warn out rugs and not the modern,
sterile
version that leaves one cold. Instead, the Marianos have put their own
stamp on this space with an overall dining out experience that says
"Italian" without being too obvious or detached.
"My wife and I enjoy sitting in front of the wood oven and watching the
team make the food," said customer Tony Ferrao. "The wood fired pizza
is usually a go-to as an appetizer with something to take for later.
Haven’t had a bad entree yet and the staff is always friendly."
Dining out at
Mariano's almost looks
like a highly
atmospheric, true-to-life scene coming out of a movie -- only this is
real life at a must-visit Italian restaurant that surely plays the
star role to our we-can-hardly-wait-to-eat palates.
A closer look at the bar.
A Brief Moment on the Makings of a Pizza at Mariano's...
Fresh, out-of-the-brick-oven wood-fired pizza.
Mariano's does not make its pizzas in an assembly-line, disinterested
"15 minutes,
please" kind of way. Rather, the staff passionately creates pizzas to
an art form --
so much, that it's tempting to just gaze in awe and admiration at these
masterpieces for an extended period of time. That would be a mistake,
though, as the taste buds start
to water and beg
for immediate, joyful consumption.
On a personal note, this writer has tried many pizzas in five decades
and the Mariano's version comes out at the top of my all-time
favorites. Sure, pizza preference
is subjective but, to me, Mariano's pizza just tastes better and
possesses all the
critical tenants of a great-tasting pie. It's cooked for the proper
amount
of time with firm but foldable dough, homemade sauce, the right cheese
blend and quantity, and plenty of toppings. There is an "X factor,"
though, that can't be fully described -- only personally experienced --
that elevates this pizza to the highest level possible.
Keith Goguen,
director of culinary services at Mariano's and MRG,
starts preparing a pizza by first flipping the dough withinin full view
of the bar and dining room and,
then,
artfully fills the pie landscape with homemade tomato sauce, a blend
of cheeses and toppings that collectively seem to have an extra
dimension of vibrancy.
Let's take a look
at the process of what goes into a Mariano's pizza:
in this case, The Godfather" with tomato sauce base,
mozzarella/provolone blend, ricotta, pepperoni, "meat-a-balls" (more on
that shortly) and caramelized onions.
Keith prepares the pizza dough...
Then Keith tosses the pizza in the
air...
Homemade tomato sauce is then placed
on the pizza...
Then the cheese and toppings...
Time to place the pizza in the
wood-fired brick oven...
A hot look at the pizza in the oven...
And this is the final product...
"There's a real complexity to using this oven and getting things
right," said Salvatore. "It's more of an art form and you have to be
very careful how it's cooked."
The Presence of a Classic Italian Restaurant
Mouthwatering: Parpardelle Bolognese with beef and pork,
slow-cooked for eight to nine hours with garlic and vegetables in a
creamy red wine tomato
sauce, pappardelle. Perfection!
Whether at the restaurant, opting for takeout, or ordering through its
comprehensive catering services, Mariano's comes across as a
restaurant that many would enthusiastically say, "This is one of my
favorite places! (this writer included)."
Chicken broccoli Alfredo. Photo credit: Mariano Restaurant Group.
Ahh, that classic Italian menu
including garlic bread, antipasti, parmigiana dishes, pappardelle
bolognese, chicken piccata, chicken marsala, calamari, chicken broccoli
Alfredo, bruschetta, wood-fired artisan pizzas, paninis,
the
sauces (no chemicals, no water, and soon-to-be-jarred and sold at local
stores) and a
carefully
selected wine and cocktails list.
Lightly battered and deep fried calamari, cherry peppers, signature
marinara (also available sautéed). Photo credit: Mariano Restaurant
Group.
The aromas,
presentations and tastings are enough to enthusiastically shout out
a line from a certain
Billy Joel song: "I'll
meet you any time you want in our Italian restaurant."
Addictive:
Melanzane Alla Parmigiana (Eggplant).
If not opting for Italian
food, Mariano's also comes up with some American comfort food favorites
like this mouthwatering burger...
A huge burger.
When asked what dish he would recommend, Salvatore said without
hesitation,
"Our cheese ravioli with meatballs and sauce. That is heaven to me."
"Mariano's meat-a-balls," as they are
affectionately
called, draws from a special inspiration. Those meatballs (and
marinara) recipes got passed along to family from Al's
grandparents in Calabria, Italy, who eventually landed at Ellis Island,
N.Y. to lead productive, meaningful lives in the United States.
Al went back to visit Calabria in 2018
and experienced a culinary epiphany,
of sorts, as the meatballs he experienced at a non-tourist food stop
there tasted true-to-form to the kind he grew up
on.
"Al 'Facetimed' me from there and said he came across some meatballs,
flavor-wise, that were perfect from a place where the locals eat," said
Pam. "It brought tears to his eyes. Definite inspiration!"
"Meat-A-Balls" from Mariano's. Photo credit: Mariano Restaurant
Group.
Further enhancing
the experience at
this must-visit Italian restaurant are sights of a dessert tray with
cannolis,
tiramisu and various cakes at the edge of the bar. Looking so yummy,
it's tempting to go for the sweet treats first before dinner! Talented
chef
Shaun Merlin creates many of the desserts on site.
Yummy looking desserts.
Where It All Started
Pam and Al Mariano.
Al and Pam married in 1986 after several years of dating. These high school sweethearts have been blessed with a perfect balance for each other and enjoy partnering in the restaurant business very much. They
first opened two restaurants, Bailey's
Bar & Grille (2008) in
Townsend, Mass. and Mariano's Ristorante (2014) in Pepperell, Mass.
and then, The Alamo Texas BBQ and Tequila Bar
in Brookline, N.H.
in 2018. A fourth restaurant, DOX on Winnisquam in Tilton, N.H. (in the
beautiful Lakes Region) will be opening soon (stay tuned for updates
here!).
The couple thrives on faith and good values.
"God is our CEO," said Pam.
Al and Pam, have three children who are all involved with restaurant
operations. Jillian is general manager at The Alamo and can frequently
be seen working the bar. Alie focuses on marketing and Domenic serves
as the beverage director at all three restaurants.
At all their restaurants, the Mariano's employ a "Core Values" policy
for employees to follow: Being "respectful, admirable, responsible and
encouraging."
"We have a huge moral compass here,"
added Salvatore. "Doing things the right way is very important to us."
This isn't
some corporate,
false gobbledygook that just goes through the contrived policy book
motions written in the 11th hour. The Marianos
really believe in these core values and the results are validated by
the way their staff carries on.
"Mariano’s is
fantastic," said customer Karen Mendes-Dionne. "Not only
do the have great food, but the Mariano family also gives back so much
to the community. They sponsor the local community theater, they donate
gift cards for school raffles and fund raisers and participate in town
events on town field. Highly recommend paying them a visit if your
in Pepperell!"
Keith Goguen is true a believer in working at MRG. For the prior
20 years, Keith worked virtually every job in the industry (from line
cook to a restaurant owner) while simultaneously trying to strike a
balanced quality of life. Working for the Marianos
has allowed Keith to create, produce and happily achieve (as opposed
to the elusive
goal of trying to achieve happiness) at the restaurants while finding
meaningful, plentiful time with wife Jessica and their young children.
"I'm extremely happy here," said Goguen, with the biggest smile and an aura of gratitude. "It's a great place to work.
It's good for family. There's a better balance since I started working
here."
Conclusion
Upbeat wall sign in Mariano's dining room.
Mariano's gets quite a faithful following from Pepperell and
surrounding towns
like Dunstable, Townsend, Acton and Hollis, N.H. but it's certainly
worth the drive if living in a one-hour radius or visiting the area.
It's one of those restaurants that locals love to call their own secret
but it's really not a secret anymore. Upon Mariano's opening on any
given day,
it's not unusual to see a virtually full parking lot and dining room
within the ensuing hour. That's real testimony to what the Marianos
have created here -- that is, a wonderful little Italian restaurant
(actually, moderately-sized) that pays homage to grand Italian
restaurant traditions while
still staying relevant to 21st century tastes. In another words,
Mariano's is a timeless type of Italian dining out spot that people
have
always loved and
always will.
"It's an easy place to be, it feels just right," said Salvatore.
"People love this restaurant."
Mariano's Ristorante is located at 105
Main St., Pepperell, MA
Tel. 978-829-4496
Web site: https://www.marianositalian.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MarianosRistorante
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/marianosristorante
Hours:
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.,
Monday - Friday: 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.,
Saturday:12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Additional reading:
What it feels like to visit Sunapee, N.H.
Visiting the Old North Bridge in Concord, Mass.
A North Shore of Massachusetts scene to remember
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