Stop! Drop the lame excuse to try new restaurants! Now step away from your comfort zone! When choosing seafood restaurants during your next visit to Puerto Penasco, try something different! Mare Blu Ristorante has been on Sandy Beach for two years, so it’s certainly not new to Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), but its difference is remarkable.
I usually don’t like to write reviews based on only one visit, so feel free to call this blog, “a first taste review.” During our Rocky Point vacations, we try to eat out for at least one nice seafood dinner. Unfortunately over the years, we have been stuck in a “restaurant rut” – going to the same two or three restaurants in the Old Port section of town.
On this recent trip, we just happened to stop by Mare Blu before attending Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers’ annual “Circus Mexicus” concert, held this year, just steps away, near Wrecked at the Reef. Sometimes spontaneous dinner outings– those new restaurant adventures — don’t turn out very well. Thankfully, this time, our ‘first taste’ of Mare Blu was delightful!
Upon arriving, I was immediately impressed by the well-maintained condition of the building and interior dining room, piano lounge and bar. Unlike the casual pool room, bikini and flip-flop ‘ambience’ at the Reef, the Mare Blu has finesse, polished charm — almost an aura of elegance. Our hostess seated us on the front outside patio, so we could watch the peak tide of Mare di Cortez as well as a growing number of concertgoers were lining up early.
Grand piano in the Mare Blu cocktail lounge.
As I’m reading the menu my first thought is: What an ambitious goal, to capture the epitome of a fine, elegant Italian restaurant in Rocky Point… on Sandy Beach… next to the ‘Reef.’ (Now please don’t get me wrong. — I’ve nothing against Wrecked on the Reef. It has its own merits, but those will have to wait for another blog post.) The Mare Blu menu offers a solid, wide range of appetizers, soups, salads and entrees. The oenophiles in our group were pleased about the wine selection.
Wine and liquor on display in Mare Blu Ristorante lounge.
We started with two appetizers, calamari and clams. The fried calamari was some of the best I’ve tasted in a long time: tender, succulent and lightly breaded! The clams were freshly steamed in a tasty bath of garlic and white wine. My husband and I shared one entrée: shrimp and angel hair pasta in pesto. The pasta was cooked perfectly — neither overcooked nor molto al dente. And my shrimp could have been absolutely perfect if only it had spent a minute or two less on the grill. But the combination of taste, presentation and quantity more than made up for the slightly overcooked shrimp. The two other couples in our group ordered unique menu selections so we all sampled a variety of menu items. Everyone was extremely satisfied.
Sit outdoors on Mare Blu patio and you’ll be enjoying beach-side dining
At this well-organized, well-staffed and well-executed restaurant, we were happy to pay a bit more for high quality food, excellent service plus beachside dining. Plan to spend about $25 to $30 per person for the entire experience. Mare Blu Ristorante is worth it!
Readers: If you’ve been to Rocky Point recently, what are your favorite dining spots? I would love to know your recommendations!