Maranello Bar and Kitchen

Sadly, this closed a couple of years ago. It’s now Dad’s Kitchen.
If you miss the amazing chef who was at Maranellos, Gabriel Glasier, locate him by googling. We had a wonderful lunch with wine pairings last summer at Miraflores Winery in Fair Play, prepared by Chef Glasier. I feel like I’m his stalker as my hubbie and I have dined at every restaurant he has been at for the last ten years. I should get a frequent diner discount from himhe’s great!

Maranello’s is closed. I read in the Bee that Dad’s Kitchen bought them. If it’s in the vein of their downtown location then I. Can’t. Wait.

Recently I adventured my way to this wonderful little spot in Fair Oaks. The Sopressata Salami Pizza is amazing. Chef Gabriel Glasier came to speak to us about our experience here, and it was the icing on the cake. This place is outstanding. I can’t wait to come here to celebrate more occasions. (And drink more!!)

I live in Oakland, so I’ve had the opportunity to sample some great restaurants all around the Bay Area. I have very high standards.
Last weekend, I went to Maranello and — WOW! My date and I had a fabulous dinner: the starter was an appetizer plate of 2 cheeses (one with truffles), mini-​peppers slightly hot, almonds, a selection of breads and a wonderful jam.
Dinner exceeded expectations: Kay had Tombo (a white fish) with blue crab stuffing and I had Free Range chicken with 2 different cooking styles, plus a corn safferoto (sp.) which was fabulous. Besides being delicious, the portions were very generous and we had a nice take home box.
Kelly was our waitress and she was great. Service was attentive without being intrusive.
But, the chef — Mark Yunge — he will be snapped up soon by some up and coming San Francisco hot restaurant. So get there now and enjoy his fabulous inventions. A guy this talented does not come by very often. He is truly a genius.
So, my advice is: as soon as you can, get to Maranello Kitchen and surprise and delight yourself with a fabulous dinner.

We gave brunch a try today. Outstanding in every way!
Other than a momentary delay to be greeted, service was spot on today. Every aspect of service was prompt, courteous, and well trained.
Stephanie was our server and I would go out of my way to sit in her section again. She knew the specials perfectly. She answered my questions about the choices of pancakes in great detail.
Spouse had the tamale egg special. Now, who is complaining about portion size??? That tamale egg special was enough to feed most of Fair Oaks! It was enormous! It contained a lot of very tender and flavorful pork. The accompanying potatoes were, believe it or not, out of this world! They had that hint of vinegar that complements the starch. I was stealing them from his plate.
And it’s not like I was hurting for food myself! I ordered the Whole Wheat pancakes, and a side order of bacon. Ooooooh, do I love thick slices of meaty bacon, and the serving was 4 big slices.
And that pancake was absolutely the best whole wheat pancake that I have ever had. (I say pancake not pancakes because they served me one ginormous pancake instead of the short stack they describe in the menu.). I have found most whole wheat pancakes to be very dry, thin, and either dense or tough. Stephanie told me that this pancake would not be dry or dense or thin. And she was right. It was worth every calorie!
And isn’t that the final test, for the food to be worth the calories? :)
The pancake comes with fresh fruit. I asked for the fruit to be served on the side, and a beautiful compote of berries, ever so slightly sweetened, was served in a bowl. It was enough for us to share.
Both the regular and decaf coffees are strong and rich.
This was our very best Maranello experience so far, food and service combined. Thank you Stephanie and fellow servers for a wonderful brunch.
Spouse wants to know how soon we are returning for brunch. As soon as I can!

One of my girlfriends and I popped in here on a Friday night last month. It was a perfect evening and so we decided to sit out on their covered patio. It was lovely. The seating, while crowded, is comfortable. The service was excellent as well as the food.
We each ordered a salad, entrée, and we shared a dessert. The ingredients were nice and fresh, everything seasoned great. The wine selection was HUGE and includes so many local wines which is always a pleasant surprise. My friend even got to try a french macaron for the first time, which was a garnish to our crème brûlée.
I am not sure why I can’t give them a full 5-​stars but there just was either something missing, or something that didn’t just wow me. I think it might be the layout of the place. Its really weird with the patio out front, dining in the middle and bar area in the back of the place like the evil step-​child.
The awesome part though was that even though we were using a Groupon, the wait staff was 5-​star, and we even got a coupon when we left for a future visit! Score! So can we split the difference and call it 4.5 stars? I say yes!

My husband, being Italian, had been wanting to try this restaurant for some time. We had the opportunity the other night and we were sadly very disappointed.
We didn’t find much in the way of Italian dishes so we ordered the dinner for two. The salad was really quite good so our hopes were up for continued tastiness. Then the entrée arrived which was baked ziti. It was so bland we had to find a salt shaker, since there wasn’t one on the table. The chicken pieces were shredded and so dry I didn’t eat mine and I love chicken. There was no sauce in the dish and minimal cheese. Then the vanilla gelato came for dessert. It was tasty but must have been sitting for quite a while because it was about ¼ liquid.
The service was just ok. Lots of time between ordering and getting the salad, also waiting for dessert.
Sorry, we won’t be back.
Gave two stars because the place has potential.

I came here with some friends who live close by and eat here regularly. They were so excited to bring us because they loved this place. They said it was great Italian food. I love Italian food so I was hoping it would be good. Sadly it had very few Italian dishes on the menu. Being in the mood for Italian, this made it hard to decide.
We started with a few small plates consisting of a grilled artichoke, a pretzel with some dipping sauce, and some small peppers. Like I said before, very few Italian choices. The artichoke was good and so was the pretzel. the peppers were just OK.
I ordered the steak (because there was no Italian food. Have I said that already?) med/​rare. My wife ordered the falafel small plate (not Italian), and our friends ordered the hamburger and the calamari to split. My steak was cooked well on the inside but burnt on the outside. Not even sure how that’s possible at med/​rare. My wife said her food was OK but wouldn’t order it again. I tried the calamari and it had a good flavor but was very chewy. They said the burger was really good, so it must have been the best part of the entire dinner.
Our friends said that the menu used to be way better and had just recently changed it. Reducing it down to one page and removed everything they usually ate. They even said they weren’t happy with the changes.
The service wasn’t any better than the food. Our server would be gone for long periods of time and my water glass went empty three times. We had to order a bottle of wine from the bus boy. He only moved fast to our table once we stood up to check his tip.
I am not sure if it was just a bad night or a bad change. I was not impressed at all. I don’t think I would eat here again with so many other restaurant better, closer, and cheaper. Unless it is in your neighborhood, I don’t think it’s worth the drive.

Overall this is a solid 4 star restaurant. Upscale dining with a few affordable specials give it the extra perk that makes me say 5 and help their ratings. (Although maybe I should give a lousy rating and keep it my own personal secret!)
Food– original, creative, delicious and very well prepared and served.
Wines, great variety of affordable and local and international selections.
Fantastic desserts! Very original, extra points for creativity — not the typical «oversized cake from a box» type of thing!
I was a bit hesitant — as we called for reservations and were told we wouldn’t need them over the phone — we arrived and we were asked if we had reservations (uh oh!) but we were promptly seated and service was wonderful — as was the food.
I can’t wait to get back and try some of their other dishes, and be treated with a warm smile and professionalism that comes with a meal at Maranello.
We *WILL* be returning and doing our part to make sure they stay in business. I just wish we could afford to eat here more often!
Top this all off with a pleasant atmosphere, a semi-​enclosed patio area, a full bar, and of course — they’re «car people» and I’d love to go see one of the car shows they have there as well — and will very soon.
Vincent hustles and aims to please!

The atmosphere and service was great but the food leaves much to be desired… my husband’s waffle was cold, the butter didn’t melt on it and the bacon was cold and brittle, clearly the eggs had been sitting for a while. My crème brûlée french toast was super hot, I had a wonderful first bite and then bit into a charred end covered in sauce. I will attach a picture of it! Very disappointed, this was Sunday morning… you’d expect them to want to show off their culinary skills…

Ok… where does one begin? The Pepperoni pizza was fair… very thin crust, nothing special about it, except for the size was very small for $ 15. We also had a side of Spaghetti for $ 7 and you got maybe 3 bites… So, if you are not very hungry and you are looking to spend more than you should, Maranello’s is the place for you.
It is a shame that the days of large portions at Italian restaurants are not being followed by this establishment.

Great dinner items, pizza, and brunch.

My aunt gave us a groupon for Christmas, so the BF and I gave it a try this past Friday eve. We made reservations, but got there kinda early so we didn’t need them. Service was more than you could ask for. Food was excellent and at the end of the evening they gave us another coupon for a half off entrée.
We shared the mixed greens salad with homemade croutons and the best blue cheese dressing I’ve ever had. It was light and tangy, instead of heavy and cloying like some. The croutons were perfectly crunchy without being so hard they cut the top of your mouth. My BF does not like croutons as a rule and he thought these were great.
The groupon was for two pizzas or pastas but the server told us that entrees were also included. We both chose the most expensive pasta, Frutti di Mare and it was fantastic. The sauce was tomato based but with a slight bright lemony quality that one doesn’t usually expect. The seafood was fresh and abundant with big succulent shrimp, super tender calamari and salmon (which I normally don’t care for) under the pasta, and a generous helping of gorgeous clams and mussels on top. The pasta was bucatini I believe. I have a pretty good sized man with a matching appetite and he was barely able to finish, I had to take some of mine home. It will be difficult not to order the same thing next time!
The bread was served hot and we had no trouble getting more when we asked. Not sure why someone thought that was such a big deal… I like my bread hot and it was yeasty and crusty and perfect. If I have one complaint it was that the butter was cold and hard. Wish it had been a bit more spreadable.
The groupon also came two glasses of house wine. It was not fabulous, but certainly drinkable and might actually been good with a more rustic dish. We also brought our own wine and there was a 12.00 corkage, which is expected.
My man is a total chocoholic but me not so much. The special dessert was a carrot cake that was moist and perfect with a filling and a gelee topping with a fig like jam and ginger pear sorbet. It was great! I didn’t not care for the gelee topping so much but he loved it. I could have eaten a gallon of the sorbet it was so great.
Even though we don’t live so close by I would defintely go there again. The bar was hopping and had some nice little dining alcoves. Think it will be what we try next.

Stormy and I took another trip to Maranello this weekend. Good thing we did.
We had a nice meal.
I say this because our last visit wasn’t so pretty. I’m guessing the kitchen had an off day. At least now I don’t feel bad about going back.

Located on Sunset and Hazel.
Casual.
Full bar.
Indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor patio is not dog friendly. It’s near Phoenix Dog Park and we had hoped it was out of convenience for us. It’s not. And, I understand.
I’ve only been in for brunch and it’s pretty good. Well, really the breakfast part. That’s all I’ve had here. Nonetheless, it’s been good. So has the service.
My favorite breakfast item– A side of biscuits & gravy.
I’ve tried the Eggs Benedict and the eggs were a little overcooked. When the yolk is cooked through– it’s officially overcooked. I’ve had the Challah French Toast and that’s all that comes with that. I wished it had other components and half the serving of French Toast. Too much of the same thing, me thinks. Yeah, you can order a side of whatever but, I rather complain. Sides get pricey.
The menu changes with the season and they have daily specials. We like coming for brunch here. It’s not horrible and it’s not fantastic. We’re just content.

I had a yearning for a hamburger and went there to try their $ 14.00 hamburger that I read about in the newspaper.
This burger was not worth the money and don’t understand why they can charge that much and get away with it.
The meat was skimpy and not juicy. The bun was toasted nicely with butter (??!) on it, but it felt apart as I ate the burger. I think there was a glob of tomato in there, but it was small. The fries were average.
If I go there again, I will try the pizza.

We made reservations for 6 an hour before we wanted to dine on a Saturday. It wasn’t tricky to get in, though they had a pretty full house.
The food was great! Full portions, tasty food, every plate was totally cleaned. :)
They serve craft brews, domestics and some colorful cocktails.
Entrees range from 14 – 28, cocktails are about 8.50 and brews are 3 – 4.50.
Excellent service & a relaxed atmosphere.
Clearly, there are a lot of parents that dine here — empty nesters, parents of high schoolers on down to toddler moms & dads. We had the misfortune of watching drunk parents let their toddler walk out barefoot & unaccompanied in the parking lot — I had to wonder if all the white haired, hawai’ian shirts dads would intervene & teach those fools how to raise babies to adulthood, but it seemed nothing would deter them from their white wine and a nice evening out with the wife.

My first visit here was great! We came on a Thurs and had the $ 30 3-​course dinner special. We had patio seating in a corner that was pretty dark, hence the dark photos. But, our waitress was attentive, came back several times to refill our drinks and check on us. Typical fine-​dining taste and portion: steak carpaccio, tilapia, and ice cream sandwiches. BF’s risotto was a bit burnt around the edges of the plate but still tasted creamy and yummy.
Somehow, the more I come here, the less I’m impressed. They run out of their specials quick, so I encourage coming to dinner earlier.
— Fish plates. Lack flavor. No POW! in my mouth or savory-​ness. It’s more of a watered down kindof taste.
— Burger. Not «the best burger I’ve ever had.» I think Jamie S. and I had the same waiter. Apparently he doesn’t eat many burgers. The greens made a difference but the meat had this gamey taste, which I thought was weird. Weird but still good and tasted fresh.
— Salt and pepper fries. Yum! Crisp and salty with bacon aoili. Everything’s better with bacon, right?
Happy Hour:
— Meatball sliders. Surprisingly good! A bit pricey for happy hour though. I could get a regular burger for $ 6 – 7
— Smoked peppers. Gross and a rip-​off! It was just skinny peppers roasted on a grill. It just had a tangy smoky flavor. No meat mass. The sauce didn’t help cut the nasty flavor.
— Crostini. Goat cheese, sundried tomato pesto, roasted garlic, candied pecan, and reduced vinaigrette sauce. Hands down the best item on that happy hr menu!
Like other reviews mentioned, service is quite slow. But not every time. Worth it to try at least once. Food either wowed or bowed. A bit too pricey to eat out every weekend, though, that’s for sure.

The service here is VERY slow. Whether you come for breakfast or dinner plan to be here a while, a long while. Despite the wait, the food is good. 2.5 stars.

What was once a dance studio is now a wonderful and inviting little restaurant…
We were escorted to our table immediately and handed menus. Our server didn’t show up immediately so another server came over and asked us if we would like some water. He came back and told us he would be our server. OK. He apologized for the wait and brought out these cute little balls, garnished beautifully and I didn’t even hear what they were. They looked good so I went for it. Turned out to be duck. I had never had duck and to my pleasant surprise it was delicious. Maybe because it was in small quantities.
I ate oysters for the first time here as well. Wow! Loved them. They had a really good sauce and cilantro jelly to put on them and it worked.
For my main course I ordered the bacon wrapped brined chicken with apple chestnut stuffing, celery root purée, Brandy sauce, and Parmesan crusted spinach. The presentation was absolutely lovely. I saw a pattern here, they seem to like to shape their food into little balls. My dish was an absolute delight.
Our server was nice but perhaps could have backed off a little. After every serving he came over at least twice to ask how everything was. We were in deep conversation every single time yet he seemed blind to it and interrupted. Maybe he was a little new at this.
Overall I can’t wait to go back, fill up on oysters and maybe have a duck ball or two.