IF Port Chester claims the medal in the Most-Restaurants-per-Block competition, surely Mamaroneck is the favored second. Whereas Port Chester's dining spots seem strung along the spine of a major roadway, those in search of food in Mamaroneck can find it in places scattered thickly throughout the village -- on the Long Island Sound, near the movie theater and across from the train station.
Osteria Marietta enjoys this last situation, and its gleaming entrance certainly invites attention from commuters. It's got location; it's got pleasant ambience; it's got a long, interesting and ambitious menu, listing among the familiar a few uncommon offerings like cuttlefish, wild boar, flattened chicken legs, buffalo, and pastas like perciatelli and pappardelle.
The ingredients were fine, but preparations were inconsistent. With a little paring of the menu -- the kitchen clearly can't deliver skillfully what the long list promises -- Osteria might be more than just another neighborhood Italian restaurant.
Mussels marinara made a safe opener. The mussels were fresh and the marinara sauce nicely seasoned. An arugula salad was topped with five smoky but slightly tough shrimp and too heavily dressed with balsamic vinaigrette that needed more oil. In sum, the dish was rough.
Cuttlefish came with a red sauce and lots of sliced porcini. The calamari were fried in a light batter. Both the calamari and cuttlefish needed further tenderizing. Sloppily plated, eggplant rollatini with mozzarella and prosciutto was much too salty.
Wonderful porcini mushrooms made a dish of pappardelle a standout. This lovely pasta was cooked perfectly, and the seductive scent of porcini, which were employed with abandon in light cream sauce, made this dish of a few simple ingredients a superb piece of work. For a heartier selection, look for a special of rigatoni tossed with eggplant, fresh mozzarella and tomato. Tagliolini in sheer, delicate lemon sauce also came with shrimp; like those in the arugula salad, they were fresh-tasting but tough, as though someone didn't take the fragile seafood out of the pot soon enough. And it was a pity that salty capers overwhelmed perciatelli alla puttanesca. This fat noodle appears too rarely on menus of Italian restaurants; its texture is so satisfying that I'd try this dish again.
Those capers also oversalted a piece of good salmon, served like most dishes here with roasted potato and bright green beans. Although labeled ''diavolo,'' pollo alla diavolo bore only a hint of heat. The substantial leg and thigh portion of the bird was pounded almost flat, then seared, the skin crisping to bronze, and roasted to succulence. The dish was simple and delicious. Wild boar, served as a special grilled rib chop, was sinewy and chewy. A filet mignon was mostly gristle.
Among the appealing desserts were exceptionally good biscotti, served with a glass of so-so Vin Santo, better for dipping than for drinking. Hazelnut gelato and dense fudgy chocolate torte with chopped figs were also good. Coffee delizie was sweet and creamy but dull.
A three-course dinner averages $36 without drinks, tax and tip.
Osteria Marietta
215 Halstead Avenue,
Mamaroneck. (914) 777-2426.
SATISFACTORY
ATMOSPHERE Handsome tiles on the floors and attractive mottled paint in bright ochers on the walls give a sunny Tuscan glow to the dining room and bar. Awkward service.
SMOKING At the bar, but smoke escapes into the dining room.
RECOMMENDED DISHES Mussels marinara, special rigatoni with eggplant, pappardelle with porcini, flattened deviled chicken (pollo alla diavolo), hazelnut gelato, lemon sorbet, chocolate torte, biscotti.
PRICES Lunch, main dishes, $9.75 to $16. Dinner, main dishes, $19 to $27; pasta dishes, $17 and $18, with half orders available for a first course.
CREDIT CARDS Major cards accepted.
HOURS Lunch, every day, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dinner Mondays through Saturdays, 5 to 10:30 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 10 p.m.
RESERVATIONS Accepted.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS Street level.
THE RATINGS Excellent, Very good, Good, Satisfactory, Poor.
Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction primarily to food, with ambience and service taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
