Marrone's: A Taste of the Neighborhood

The best part of my job is when I "discover" a new place. Not that I'm covering any new ground, necessarily. Many places have been in business since before I was born. With that said, I admit I had never known of Marrone's, on County Line Road in Ardmore.

I met up with a friend, ordered a Peroni and looked over the menu. We started off with the macaroni and cheese bites and a house salad. The ultimate comfort food, Marrone's mac and cheese are packed into triangular portions, dipped in batter and fried. Heart healthy? No. Addictive? They got better with each bite.

The salad was large and brimming with romaine and iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and croutons. I loved the beer bottle carafe of dressing that was brought to the table, as it reminded me of the pizza places in Chicago. The house dressing was a simple vinaigrette.

For our entrees we had a small half sausage pizza and the stuffed eggplant, with a side of spaghetti. Again, the pizza here reminded me of Chicago--the crust is thick and the sauce on top. But there are variations: The regular has a layer of cheese with sauce on top. The double adds another layer of cheese on top of the sauce, and the the triple is Marrone' version of "extra cheese."

Each pie can also be made without sauce, or  "white."

The pizza was delicious. I loved the hearty crust and the savory tomato sauce. The layer of cheese in the middle was a welcome change from typical East Coast pizza. The round slices of sausage were thick and flavorful. I could taste the herbs and spices in the meat.

The stuffed eggplant was enormous--even between the two of us, we could not finish it. The large pieces of eggplant were breaded and fried and just a tad bitter, but the natural sweetness from the tomato sauce played off the eggplant nicely. The spaghetti noodles appeared to be fresh rather than from a box. They were cooked well and would taste even better the next day (after a night marinating). We had the leftovers wrapped up, but then I couldn't resist the allure of the chalk-written dessert menu.

The ricotta cheesecake was rich, the ricotta adding a creaminess and slightly savory accent to the otherwise sweet cake. Though small in stature, I couldn't finish the whole slice. The buttery crust paired well with the filling. I loved it.

The service is casual but friendly. This neighborhood hangout caters mostly to locals, evidenced by all the first-name calling throughout the evening. Our server answered all our questions and everything we ordered came out quickly. Most of the staff is accommodating and willing to help with anything you may need (bizarre ATM machine, directions to restroom, add-ons to your order...).

The place has an impressive beer list, too.

The decor is simple with wooden furniture and spare walls, but the full bar has televisions blaring non-stop. The dining area is wide open and slightly elevated from the bar area. Though the restaurant is not small, it has a distinct homey feel to it. We felt at ease right away.

I can't stop thinking about that pizza and cheesecake. I'd head back for those things, even if Marrone's was not so welcoming.