Made In Sheffield: Marco's

I remember in March 2014 when I found out Sheffield was getting a Marco's, a family-friendly New York Italian restaurant by celebrity chef, Marco Pierre White.  Despite many many hints at my husband he didn't take the bait and over a year later I am still trying to persuade him to take me.  You see he's picky ... really picky - if there is a danger food may have any flavour to it you can be pretty confident it'll be too posh for him.  So when Marco's asked us to join them for their Share Sunday's launch I was like an over excited child (not least of all because I love roast dinners, especially one's I've not cooked myself), unfortunately for him he couldn't get time off work which meant more amazing food for me and the kids.

Marco's has taken the notion of sharing good food with friends and family from across the seas and bringing it to the UK.  They are combining great fine dining with bringing people together over a British favourite - the much loved Sunday roast.  It was a really great opportunity to talk to the kids.  Sunday Dinner at home is the only night in the week the 4 of us sit around a table.  Unfortunately this has the downside of being in the evening when daddy gets in from work so it's very much a rush job before bed.  We were in Marco's for approx an hour and a half, it was relaxed but not a slow service.

From the minute we entered I was a little concerned, although I have taken the boys to eat out many times this restaurant was something else and I was really worried about the kids getting bored and showing off.  Fortunately though Marco's was buzzing and there were plenty of children around enjoying sharing a Sunday platter with their families.   Despite a packed restaurant service was quick and pleasant leaving the boys very little time to debate their next course of mischief.  They were also given colouring pictures and pencils to keep them occupied and loved designing their own Pizzas.

Let me take you through their Sharing Platters from the beginning.......

Starters

There's a choice of 3 starters to choose from:

Sharing Platter

Tomato & basil bruschetta, Bbq Chicken wings, Calamari and some of our favourites starters

Smoked Mackerel Pate

Served with toasted brown bread and a beetroot & horseradish Chutney

Soup Of The Day

Served with ciabatta bread and butter

We went for the Sharing Platter as it had something for everyone on it.  The boys have tried BBQ Chicken Wings previously (and would have happily eaten these all day)..... they were amazing (not a word I use a lot when it comes to food) we actually had an argument over who would have the last one!!  (Mummy let Ben have it).
  We'd never tried Calamari before and whilst not to my taste Ben loved them polishing them off quickly.
  In addition to the items above we also had a mushroom dish and some potato skins (mummy's second favourite).

If I could make any suggestions to the menu it would be to choose 3 or 4 items from a list that you could create a unique platter from.  Again though this is personal choice as we're all a little fussy :)

You can tell we don't eat out a lot when Ben asked if he could taste the finger bowl **doh**

Main Course

Platter Of Meat To Share With A Choice Of Roasts From:

Roast Gammon

Roast Beef

Roast Chicken

All to be served with Yorkshire puddings, duck fat and rosemary roasted potatoes,

red wine sauce and seasonal vegetables

We were offered any 2 of the meat selection (I asked for a bit of all 3 but was told no) so opted for Beef and Chicken.  It was really nice.  A little challenging to serve the chicken without using your fingers but we overcame this.  I imagine in an ideal sharing situation you would have a piece each but we wanted to share in style and that meant having a piece of everything.  These yorkies were an amazing sight and the food was all really nice.  The meat was cooked to perfection and the potatoes were soft with a lovely flavour.

Despite there being 3 of us Ben's face fell when they only brought out 2 plates and 2 Yorkshire puddings.  I joked he wasn't getting any and the waiter ignored my comment. I had to ask another waitress for some for him (they love yorkies and it's the first thing they eat).  She dealt with this quickly though and was apologetic so it was no big deal.  They even brought us out some extra carrot/ parsnip selection on request.

Again a great option would be to be able to choose the veg you get but like I said we're fussy and stick to the simple carrots/ peas/ sweetcorn options.   If you love your veg though you wouldn't be disappointed as the selection was great  (and everyone who's seen the picture just said "wow".

Dessert

(in my opinion the best part of any meal)

Sticky Toffee Pudding

With vanilla ice cream

Sticky Chocolate Pudding

With vanilla ice cream

Crumble Of The Day

With custard

Tied in an argument with Ben and Noah over dessert - they wanted toffee I wanted chocolate - the waitress made the decision easier by saying we could have a bit of both.  I was so pleased she did as the chocolate whilst moist and flavoursome had no edge at all over the Toffee Pudding.  The sticky sauces and ice cream complemented the cake perfectly.
  I'd come back simply for more of the toffee pudding and judging by the plates I think the kids would too.

NB:  I've seen photo's of the Crumble and that looks every bit as yummy!

The #SharingSunday menu is available 12-6pm and at £16 a head Marco's isn't as expensive as I first imagined it to be and is well in line with any other restaurant, especially for a 3 course meal.

But don’t just take our word for it, come and enjoy the Marco’s experience for yourself.

Offers

Until the end of May diners can enjoy 50% off food at Marco's New York Italian Sheffield.  This offer is only available when you present the voucher (here) when ordering.
Offer valid from Monday to Saturday 12-5pm, booking is essential.

Marco's Visit

The man himself - Marco Pierre White will be visiting Marco's Sheffield on Wednesday 27th May for dinner.   All diners will receive a signed apron to take home, a 3 course dinner, plus the opportunity to meet Marco. On the night you will also be able to buy a personalised copy of Marco’s latest book - White Heat.

The cost for this night is £50 per person and booking is essential.


Disclaimer:  We were invited to try the sharing menu free of charge, in return I am providing an honest review of the restaurant.  Please do remember that this is my opinion and everyone's tastes are different.