Marcella’s And A Movie

While shopping for clothes, housewares and various other items is a rather enjoyable activity to me (when i have a few extra bucks), my first thought when i saw the new wing opening up on the north side expansion of the Fashion Square Mall was, of course, are there any new restaurants going in? Not that downtown Scottsdale really needs anymore dining options than it already has, but i was pleased to find out the answer to my question was yes. 4 new places to enjoy a meal…Modern Steak, it’s connected burger stand Modern Burger, the eatery in Barneys called Fred’s, and lastly Marcella’s Italian Kitchen. We decided to go check out the newly opened wing of the mall, followed by dinner at one of the new places and then catch a late showing of Where The Wild Things Are. After perusing a couple menus, Marcella’s was the winner. Nothing like a big, filling, heavy italian meal before sitting down to watch a movie. There was a small wait, but we got sat rather quickly. For being such a new place i expected maybe there would be some kinks needed to be worked out yet, especially with the service, but they seemed to have it down pretty well. Everyone was very friendly and attentive. We explained to our server that we had a movie to catch, so she did her best to get us in, get us fed and get us out with ample time to catch our movie without missing even one coming attraction. This is the third Marcella’s in the US, with the first two being out in the Columbus, Ohio area. It’s a decent sized restaurant with an open layout. WIth the use of earthy colors, choice of decor and warm lighting, I found it to be very comfortable and inviting. And once again, seems to be becoming a recurring theme lately, a beautiful spacious outdoor patio lit by strings of hanging lights. We however got sat inside near the interior ‘patio’ which overlooks the new wing of the mall and gives you a good view across the way of beautiful and mammoth Modern Steak. The menu at Marcella’s consists primarily of traditional authentic italian food. Salads, pizzas, pastas and the usual classic italian entrees. When being faced with a time restriction, we actually can be somewhat decisive. We had choices made before even sat down and decided to split one pizza and one pasta. Julie chose the pepperoni and sausage pizza, i went with the classic penne alla vodka. It looks pretty bare in the photo, but there was plenty of the thick, rich and very flavorful vodka sauce. The penne was cooked just right. I’m a big fan of vodka sauce over any pasta normally, but i was somewhat surprised at just how much i enjoyed this simple dish at Marcella’s. As far as the pizza, i wish they went a little heavier with the sauce but otherwise i had no complaints. The dough was crispy and thin enough without being too flimsy. It was loaded with toppings…sweet roasted peppers and tomatoes, and the salty smoky sausage and pepperoni. It was no Humble Pie nor LGO Pizza but it was satisfying and hit the spot. Marcella’s Italian Kitchen turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, Where The Wild Things Are turned out to be a surprising disappointment. What a let down…

Would i go back? I’m pretty sure i would. Especially for the dinner and a movie idea, Marcella’s is a great option.

Pepperoni & Sausage Pizza - Onions, Tomato, Provolone Cheese & Roasted Peppers 

Penne Alla Vodka - Tomatoes, Proscuitto, Mushrooms, Chili Flakes, Garlic & Cream