MiraMare brings elegant Italian fare to Venetian Bay

There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth when the wondrous Marie- Michelle's closed its doors at the Village on Venetian Bay last year.

And while it’s not the same, the new inhabitant of that choice waterfront location, MiraMare (Italian for “looking at the water”), is a worthy successor, offering well-executed Italian fare along with that dazzling view.

With Chef Giovanni Scamardella, for-merly of Vergina, Naples Tomato and Bice, teamed with owner Sal Sinzieri, former managing partner of Bice, it’s not surprising that the food and ambience are exceptionally good.

And while the service needs work, I anticipate it will improve as the young restaurant gets more seasoned.

The dining room is tiny, holding just a few tables tucked behind a bustling bar and in front of a semi-open kitchen and massive mirror. But the covered balcony and even larger bayfront patio just below that accommodates quite a crowd.

We were seated at a small table for two on the edge of the balcony. A glass partition affords some distance from the table a couple of feet below on the patio. With a row of larger parties on the balcony as well as the line of tables for two, there was but a narrow walk-way that had to accommodate servers, customers, tray tables and heaters. On one occasion, we felt the urge to duck as servers hefted a table from one end to the other. Removing a couple of tables from the balcony would help alleviate that cramped feeling.

Pan-seared salmon is paired with a subtle honey and apple berry Dijon sauce served atop mashed potatoes.

The wine list has a creditable by-the-bottle assortment, including a multitude of worthy Italian offerings. But the full-bodied and moderately priced ZD Char-donnay 2007 won out for its balance of fruit and acid, which makes it a fitting accompaniment for  seafood and tomato sauce.

An appetizer of fried calamari and vegetables was ample for two. We enjoyed the tender squid, expertly sea-soned and fried, as well as various fried veggies, complemented by a delicate tomato sauce that didn’t overwhelm the calamari.

Several dishes feature fresh pasta and are thoughtfully marked on the menu. (They are also available in whole wheat.) From these, we ordered the pappardelle alla Bolognese. The broad, flat noodles had the rich flavor and firm texture that sets fresh pasta apart from its dry brethren. It paired well with the mellow tomato sauce studded with ground beef. As with the calamari, everything was in balance, with no single seasoning out-shining the others.

The same can be said of the pan-seared salmon with a slightly sweet honey and apple berry Dijon sauce served over mashed potatoes and a smattering of green beans and zucchini strips.

for two, there was but a narrow walkway that had to accommodate servers, customers, tray tables and heaters. On one occasion, we felt the urge to duck as servers hefted a table from one end to the other. Removing a couple of tables from the balcony would help alleviate that cramped feeling.

For a decadent dessert, consider the cannoli dipped in dark chocolate topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

Several dishes feature fresh pasta and are thoughtfully marked on the menu. (They are also available in whole wheat.) From these, we ordered the pappardelle alla Bolognese. The broad, flat noodles had the rich flavor and firm texture that sets fresh pasta apart from its dry brethren. It paired well with the mellow tomato sauce studded with ground beef. As with the calamari, everything was in balance, with no single seasoning outshining the others.

The same can be said of the pan-seared salmon with a slightly sweet honey and apple berry Dijon sauce served over mashed potatoes and a smattering of green beans and zucchini strips.

A side order of sautéed broccoli rabe had a burned flavor, which may have come from some singed garlic. When the manager, whom I presume was Mr. Sinzieri, stopped at our table we praised all but the broccoli rabe. He offered to replace it with spinach but, since we were finished with the rest of our meal, instead had it taken off of our bill.

Dinner concluded with two very satisfying desserts. The first was a deca dent chocolate-covered cannoli, stuffed with creamy mascarpone and choco-late chips, topped with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar. The other consisted of an ethereal zabaglione with diced cantaloupe, grapes, blueberries and strawber-ries beneath a mound of whipped cream and a sprig of mint.

MiraMare has a firm grasp on the culinary aspects of what makes a memorable meal. It’s set-ting is lovely and I’m hard-pressed to suggest any improvements there.

The next step is to elevate the ser-vice to the level of the food. Along with several other tables on the balcony, we were waited on by a young man dressed in an impeccable suit and tie. I’m assuming he was a man-ager because most servers wore black vests and red bow ties. While he was pleasant, he appeared unfamiliar with basic server protocol, which includes informing cus-tomers of the night’s spe-cials, inquiring whether they would like drinks (or wine) before ordering food, offering fresh ground pepper (there was no pepper on the tables) and freshly grated cheese. We had already ordered when we overheard a server explaining the specials to a near-by table. We also saw other servers offer pepper and cheese to their customers.

We watched another server repeatedly carry a water pitcher by its lip, then pour water into customers' glasses. And although there were quite a few server attendants, none seemed trained to clear plates unless asked to do so. I lost count of the number who passed our table where dirty dishes, an empty wine bottle and glasses languished.

From my vantage point, I could see servers lavishing their tables with attention, staying on top of dishes and refilling wine glasses. It's what you'd expect in a place like MiraMare.

Food and ambience this good deserves service to match.