Festa Italiana nights at Merletto in Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf

Swanky interiors and an extensive Italian variety paired with warm hospitality is everything you can experience at the Festa Italiana, every Wednesday, at Merletto in Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf. For just AED 140 per person, you get to journey through different courses of the evening meal, quite similar to how the Italians do. What’s more, for an additional AED 50 per person, you can enjoy 2 glasses of grape with ‘Tagliere Formaggi’ (cheese platter) that features Parmesan, Taleggio, Gorgonzola, Homemade Ricotta, Brie and Emmental along with assorted condiments.

Read on as I take you through the different courses of my Wednesday Festa at Merletto.

Tropical Smoothie

We decided to ditch the wine in this visit. Instead we opted for this chilled tropical smoothie that was served oh so elegantly in champagne glasses.

Antipasti

While we were waiting for our freshly baked assorted Focaccia bread basket, we decided to indulge in some hot and cold shareable Antipasti selections from the buffet. Starting with a lovely bruschetta, their variety included seafood, carpaccio, marinated olives and caprese, among others. I especially loved the fresh and juicy shrimps salad.

Also a part of the antipasti at the Wednesday Festa in Merletto, Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf, this platter just got me captivated by the sheer beauty of its colors that so artfully mingle with each other. Mushrooms, onions, carrots, eggplants, zucchini and tomatoes – all grilled – are placed around an oil concoction infused with garlic pieces and herbs. On the sides are pickles, sundried tomatoes and artichokes. The garlic oil was to die for. So healthy and so flavorful.

Italian Bean Soup with Focaccia

It was quite a chilly evening last Wednesday and this Italian bean soup at the Wednesday Festa in Merletto Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf made the perfect companion.
Paired with their assorted foccacia basket, this broth is known as the lucky soup in Italy and features a hearty combination of mixed beans and vegetables. And it is so so comforting. The parmesan garnish gave this soup a perfect finish.

Shareable Platter

A combination of different antipasti can never go wrong, especially when it’s Italian. This shareable platter included fried mozzarella, arancini, calamari and shrimps, all with a lovely sour cream dip in the centre.

Tempted much? Head over to the Festa Italiana at Merletto in Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf this Wednesday and sample all these wonderful dishes for just AED 140 per person.

Pizza & Pasta

How could we progress through an Italian theme night without the heart and soul of Italy – Pizza & Pasta!

Also a part of the Festa Italiana at Merletto in Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf, this pizza was the perfect portion for two. The chefs there were really kind to combine two different flavors for us – pepperoni stacked Diavola and Vegetariana with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and rucola leaves. Both, despite of their contrasting flavors, offered the perfect bite and were neither too cheesy nor too dry.

This should definitely be a motivation to head over to Merletto this Wednesday!

The classic pasta featured penne tossed in a tomato based sauce and cooked to al dente perfection.

Pollo alla Diavola

The Festa Italiana at Merletto in Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf includes an option of one a la carte main course per person from a selection of Italian favorites, meat and seafood based dishes. Owing to their irresistible nature, we decided to indulge in one chicken and one beef dish.

This one is the Pollo alla Diavola which features grilled marinated chicken pieces served with a side of ‘to die for’ herbed potato wedges and chili jus.
The tenderness of the chicken wss just perfect, such that it fell right off the bone. The grilled basting gave it a rustic flavor.

Bistecca di Manzo

Yet another delicacy from their a la carte selection, this Bistecca di Manzo was a house specialty. This featured a medium well grilled rib eye steak served with French fries and beef jus. The meat was absolutely juicy, tender and perfectly spiced. And their spuds are oh my, so good.

Head over to Merletto in Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf and indulge in their Wednesday Festa Italiana theme night.

Italian Dolci

To finish things off, we had this Italian Dolci at the Wednesday Festa in Merletto, Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf. From the classic Tiramisu and Cannoli to Pannacotta, lemon tart and gelato, their a la carte menu offers a choice of one dessert per person. We found ourselves too stuffed to indulge in the more cakey desserts, so we tried out their vanilla gelato instead.

Beautifully presented with chocolate sauce drizzle and chocolate sticks, this creamy melt-in-your-mouth ice cream was on point.
Couldn’t have asked for anything more, that evening was a perfect one. Don’t worry if you missed out on the Festa Italiana this time. Head over to Merletto next Wednesday for a dinner that’s sure to linger around in your thoughts. Even days after you have savored it.

Merletto

Location: Marriott Al Jaddaf, Al Jaddaf Area, Oud Metha, Dubai
Contact: 04 3177777

Reserve your dining experience online at: http://marriottdiningaljaddaf.com/