"If you live in the East Village, add Maretta to your list of places for a last-minute date or a casual catch-up with a few friends. The easygoing Italian restaurant is just sexy enough, with mostly concrete accents, candles on the tables, and a pizza oven crackling behind the bar. Maybe more importantly, the portions of pappardelle with oxtail ragu and pizzettas are appropriate to split. We're not going to lie to you and say every dish is a hit—because it's not. But the plump steamed mussels are briny and delightful. Get those and a cocktail. We like the Negroni Shakerato with cacao bitters to round out that quintessential Italian bitterness. Food Rundown photo credit: Will Hartman Steamed Mussels If you’re using Maretta as a place for a cocktail, these steamed mussels should be your snack. It’s a simple, delicious dish: fat, juicy mussels steamed in white wine, garlic, tomato broth with some chilis, and not a grain of grit in sight. Our only complaint is that it's not served with bread for sopping up that tasty broth. photo credit: Will Hartman Fennel Salad A crunchy, bright salad with shaved fennel and rich, fancy-feeling marcona almonds. If you like fennel, you’ll like this. photo credit: Will Hartman Bucatini Al Limone When a dish is easy to make at home, it's a bummer to see an imperfect version at a restaurant. That's the case here. We've encountered split sauce and overcooked pasta. Steer clear. photo credit: Will Hartman Pappardelle Silky ribbons of pappardelle in a warming oxtail ragu. This is the pasta to get here. photo credit: Will Hartman Red Pizzetta While the dough itself could use some salt, we liked this pizzetta. Topped with ‘nduja, ricotta, mozzarella, and pickled peppers, this is worth an order. Just get it with the pappardelle, so you can drag your crust through whatever is left in your pasta bowl." - Will Hartman
