Mike S.
Yelp
"I heard there was a great new Italian spot somewhere near your office."
This was enough for me to punch in a rezzy and find my way to a historic looking home on Gates.
Ella Fitzgerald's iconic sound let us know we'd made it to Mazzara Vinoteca and upon comically missing the door knob because I'm too tall (or the doorknob is too short--not door shaming here ) we were warmly welcomed to a leftward dining room.
The menu was slightly denser than expected but that's not a bad thing. There were the veals, osso bucco (hidden in a daily pasta dish), the requisite steak and pastas... But also a few interesting things and daily specials.
The highlight of the cichetti trio we chose was the mushroom arancini. The shrimp scampi and eggplant were good, but the arancini was perfectly textured.
My wife--currently masquerading as a younger version of herself--chose a pretty classic Caesar with anchovies as an authentic touch and balanced dressing. I chose a beautiful shaved fennel and blood orange salad that was a delight to see... but I really didn't get the flavor medley until I was nearly at the bottom of what could have easily been a floral arrangement.
For my main... I chose cioppino. Often times I'll do this to compare against Sotto Mare in SF as well as a recipe I keep for a good cold weather holiday.
The présentation was great, the mussels tender and the broth was flavorful with just a bit of spice on the tail end. The shrimp were mercifully arranged in a thoughtful manner. But one irksome omission was the lack of a lobster pick...or a small seafood fork. The beautiful centerpiece lobster tail was a bit intimidating, even for a guy who's eaten with his hands, sticks and tines all across this blue-green marble. Now mind you, I understood the assignment. I'm just saying it could have have been a slightly less harrowing experience with a small addition.
Oh, If you get cioppino, do yourself a favor and ask for focaccia - there are 3 kinds, baked daily. The rosemary onion was a superb match for the above fish stew.
My wife's review of the eggplant Parmesan was that it was passable--something about the marinara was not up to her spec and the eggplant breading not as light as she'd prefer. She has her own way of assessing classics, too. The classic EP was good, but not superb.
The wine list was thoughtful and I'd honestly like to come back and try a few pairings with the charcuterie offerings.
All in all, I think Mazzara is a bright spot in Huntsville's changing food scene that's definitely in the "good" box, but several miscues away from great.
My 4 is really 3.75/3.8 but that's honestly because the dessert was a complete disappointment. Had I not even bothered, it'd be an easy 4. But honestly, I can't think of any dessert needing to be served warm than apple... anything. Apple pie, tarts, crisps, or in this case, an apple crostada are all in dire need of heat.
I'll be back...but I think I said that already.