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Martino's
North Railway Street, Seaham
MARTINO'S in Seaburn, Sunderland, is one of my favourite Italian restaurants.
But would its ethos of quality Italian-American food, laid-back atmosphere and fair prices be matched by its Seaham sister?
Mother's birthday and little brother's leaving party – he's off to teach English in South Korea – seemed as good a time as any to put it to the test.
The American-Italian theme that's made the first Martino's popular is echoed in the more recent addition to the chain.
Indeed, the decor is what you would expect from a restaurant named after Al Martino – the voice behind many a crooner anthem.
The bar area is all 1950s Rat Pack glamour with plush red seating and candlelit corners.
Meanwhile, the eating area has a more rustic Italian theme.
Food-wise, there's umpteen choices, from salads, pizza and pasta to rice dishes and steak.
To start, I went with the melon and ham. It's an oldie, but a goodie at 4.95 for a generous helping of mouth-watering fresh melon and Parma ham.
My brother Michael chose the steamed mussels in spicy tomato sauce. (6.95)
Not too heavy, but still with a bit of a kick, the sauce complemented the mussels well and – having sampled some myself for research purposes – tasted delicious.
The rest of the family tucked into a garlic bread with cheese to start, at 3.95.
When it comes to my main meal I always want to "go crazy"and choose something different, but, having tasted Martino's pizzas before, I couldn't resist.
My choice – Martino's Special topped with tiger prawns, onions, mushrooms and black olives – may have been the most expensive pizza on the menu at 9.95, but it was well worth it.
In keeping with the restaurant's family-friendly atmosphere, there's also a good children's menu and my niece Amy was happy with her half-pizza and chips, at 3.95.
For six of us, with drinks, main meals and starters, the bill came in at about 100.
Martino's has become so popular that it has its own group on social networking site Facebook. With a members list almost topping 2,000, it is obviously cooking up a storm with other diners.
KATY WHEELER
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Friday 10 February 2012
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