Dish Recommendations at Marea and Empellon Cocina

[degustingdiary]

Hi,

I'll be in New York for a short stint in mid-August and will be eating at Marea (for lunch) and Empellon Cocina (for dinner). Aside from the lobster-burrata salad and fusilli, are there any other dishes at Marea worth trying? Similar question regarding Empellon Cocina: aside from the lobster with Tetilla, what are the other must-trys?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Riverman500]

Marea:

uni with lardo
grilled octopus app
granchio
funghi risotto
risotto mare
spaghetti with crab and sea urchin
sirloin
roasted scallops
affogato
panna cotta
gianduja

I'm not a fan of Empellon Cocina but I'm sure others will chime in.

[degustingdiary]

Wow, thanks, Riverman! I was planning on adding one course to their $45 two-course business lunch, but you've made that decision far more challenging.

Can I ask what about Empellon Cocina you dislike?

[Riverman500]

If you're getting the astice and the fusilli, I'd recommend the roasted scallops at Marea as a supplement. The ricci (uni and lardo app) isn't on the lunch menu but they will make it upon request if they have the ingredients available.

At Cocina I tried:

Mezcal cured ocean trout
Cream cheese
Roe
Sal de gusanos

Gordita
Smoked plaintain
Chorizo
Egg yolk

Scallops
Huitlacoche
Rutabaga
Masa polenta

Frozen mango mousse
White chocolate
Amaranth
Lime

All were good but not great, IMO. The flavors were a bit discordant, more "interesting" as opposed to "yummy" though maybe I'm just not open minded enough for Stupak's experiments. I did notice that some of these dishes have been tweaked or are no longer on the menu so perhaps I should try Cocina again. I love Empellon Taqueria though.

[Cheeryvisage]

For Marea, I also recommend the grilled octopus appetizer and the affogato for dessert. I hear the sea urchin pasta is also very good.

[degustingdiary]

Thanks, Cheeryvisage! The crab-uni spaghetti sounds delicious.