We all know that to get the best Chinese or Korean meal you go to Flushing, the new, bigger and better Chinatown. But hidden away on Farrington Street, just a block west of Flushing Town Hall, is Magna Ristorante, the Italian restaurant in the Marco Hotel.
It is owned by Tony Tecora, who has restaurants in Manhattan. I’ve eaten at Magna before, since it’s the perfect dining spot if you are going to see a performance at the professionally-run Flushing Town Hall. This time I went for lunch with friends and was as impressed as I was the first time.
The attractive, well-lit space with a large bar in the front serves the guests of the hotel for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The staff is professional and friendly too so it’s a pleasure to enjoy a relaxed meal.
The lunch menu is available until 3 p.m. We had the insalata di pomodorini made up of sliced and diced tomatoes with red onions in a delicate balsamic dressing. My husband had his favorite, a classic Caesar salad. It featured a bountiful topping of Parmihiano-Reggiano cheese. The real star of the salads was the insalata di pera. It was a unique combination of poached pear surrounding a large portion of arugula with crispy bacon and gorgonzola cheese crumpled on top of the greens. Delicious.
Then we went on to have meat tortellini in a chicken broth; it was a good-size portion for only $9. I had my favorite, grilled salmon, cooked exactly to my request. It was served with julienne vegetables. We were pleasantly surprised by the tender and tasty meatballs served in the traditional tomato sauce with a large portion of perfectly-cooked spaghetti.
Of course there is a bountiful dessert menu and we partook with a tartuffo, a dark chocolate crust surrounding chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Delicious! We also sampled the refreshingly-tart raspberry sorbet
Magna has private rooms available for catered events. They are open seven days a week.
Try it, you’ll love it.
Magna Ristorante
35-25 Farrington Street in Flushing (off Northern Boulevard in the Marco Hotel)
718-445-3352
www.magnarestaurant.com
Open daily for breakfast lunch and dinner (7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.), featuring a full bar
Carry out and catering available
Hotel guests get a 10% discount
