Beyond the Sea

Due Mari, an Italian restaurant with an emphasis on seafood, boasts friendly service and fresh dishes.

Call to make a reservation at Due Mari, and the friendly host asks if it’s for a special occasion. But even if you’re not marking a birthday or anniversary, the answer is yes. Turns out, even just a “regular” meal at this New Brunswick spot is worth celebrating.

Before you even get to the food, the airy space itself is impressive: a large, sleek, circular bar is an immediate attention-grabber as you enter. its rich, dark-wood tones are repeated in the main dining space, which exudes a casual, modern elegance. Tuck into your table, and you’re soon greeted by the first of two waiters who work in tandem to guide you through your meal.

Much of the emphasis here is on seafood (Due Mari is Italian for “two seas”), and so we dove right in with our antipasti selections. First up was the cozze—Mediterranean mussels that were some of the plumpest we’ve seen. The tender, meaty mollusks were steamed with house-cured bacon, fingerling potatoes, corn kernels and fresh tomatoes. After slurping our way through the entire bowl, we used the grilled foccaccia to soak up every last drop of the smoky, sea-salty broth.

Our second starter, the sepia, showed the versatility of both seafood and the chef. Strands of chilled cuttlefish—slightly chewy yet still tender—were topped with capers, black olives and tomato concasse, then drizzled with anchovy vinaigrette. While it may sound like salt overload, the dish was miraculously light and refreshing.

A lovely change of pace from our seafood selections was the house-made papardelle, with a chunky veal Bolognese and a generous dollop of fresh ricotta— happily, the soft, wide noodles held their own against the densely meaty, creamy sauce.

We chose lighter fare for our first entrée: a crispy skate wing served next to a creamy fennel puree. the pan-fried filet was cooked just right, and the light anise flavors of the fennel counterbalanced the firm, flaky fish. a mix of pancetta, shrimp, fingerling potatoes, celery and tomatoes on top added complexity and freshness.

A more straightforward dish, the center-cut pork chop was all about the meat: a thick, juicy chop paired with soft spaetzle and baby turnips. Whole-grain mustard added a touch of spice, which was nicely offset by a slightly sweet, slightly sour plum marmalade.

That marmalade made a return appearance in one of our desserts: the mandorle (“almond” in italian) featured a ramekin of creamy almond custard crowned with the preserves, chocolate gelato and a sprinkling of almonds. Hints of marzipan and cocoa combined for a light, intensely flavored treat. the Genovese peach melba was similarly scrumptious: moist sponge cake was topped with roasted fresh peaches and lavender gelato, which paired well with the sweet fruit. It was a fitting finish to what ended up being a special occasion—perhaps that host was on to something.

Due Mari

78 Albany Street, New Brunswick,
732-296-1600; www.duemarinj.com 

Hours
Lunch: Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Dinner: Monday through Thursday, 4–10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4–11 p.m.; sunday, 4–9 p.m.

What you should know

• Entrées range from $17 to $31
• All major credit cards accepted
• Reservations recommended
• Private parties accommodated