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| - Chef Marc has such a huge following around the valley and it's for good reason. I wrote a review for his more casual Parma years ago, and was saddened (as everyone was) when it had closed. While it was a nice respite to be able to see his fresh pasta at farmers markets and to visit his pizza place (now also closed), I missed the sit down dining experience with his warm hospitality.
Enter Chef Marc's Trattoria. I bookmarked it shortly after opening but I'm ashamed to say that my mantra to eat less carbs (for some reason my brain doesn't count dumplings?) kept me from coming here as soon as I wanted to. It wasn't until my best friend was craving Italian that I suggested knowing JUST the place.
In summary, we were in the mood for classics. We shared a caesar salad which was exactly what you'd expect it to be although the dressing was just a touch lighter than most which was welcome. We also had the clams with linguine and the eggplant parmesan. Chef Marc came out to touch tables, as he does, and we got into it about different pasta textures, our favorites, and which hold different sauces better for different purposes etc. He mentioned that they had a house made bucatini that day, and I became VERY excited as thats my absolute favorite. I subbed that in for my pasta side alongside the eggplant parmesan.
The eggplant parm seemed less like it was dredged through breadcrumbs, and more like it was just crisp egg batter, and it was a welcome change. It gave the dish a lightness without sacrificing any of its silky richness. The bucatini was the first thing I finished- mm! The linguine with clams is just EXACTLY right. It hit all the right flavors and I still dream about it. Fresh clams, lemon, garlic, white wine, parsley and homemade pasta all humbly married together in harmony. It was spectacular.
If you're looking for classics, this is tops if you want to avoid the strip and breaking the bank. I have yet to try any of their more creative dishes, but look forward to the opportunity to visit again in the (hopefully) near future! Also, the music was on point with classics like Sinatra setting just the right mood.
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