Marcello's Cucina Italiana

Marcello's Cucina Italiana is a rustic Italian bistro in Sunriver, Oregon, that is an excellent choice for a quick meal or a hearty, filling Sunday supper. Stepping into the location, the smell of the fresh dishes, herbs, and sauce cooking really helps you feel hungry. When our party visited, we were uniquely surprised by how modern the dishes were and how many options were available for those who want something lighter. It has a big menu, and that's one of the best parts – you will find something here for you.

One of the great things about Marcello's Cucina Italiana is that they will customize your meals for you as much as possible. They can make your order to meet any allergy requirements you may have. They also offer a gluten-free pasta if you need it. You just have to ask for it. The entire team of professionals here are so welcoming and encouraging. You'll feel like family.

History

I don't know much about the history of Marcello's Cucina Italiana, mainly because I couldn't find a lot about it before we visited. I do know that the location works hard to source as much of its produce and other ingredients as close to home as possible, which means you know you are getting fresh food.

Location & Environment

The Marcello's Cucina Italiana location is super easy to get to right off Ponderosa Road. It's located right behind Café Sintra Sunriver and just minutes from Abbot Drive. It is about a 5 minute drive to the Sunriver Airport. On a nice day, it's great to sit outdoors on the patio. We did not do that on the day we visited, but we did get to enjoy the ambiance of the interior.

It's a fantastic little place with lots of brick, proper lighting, and a warm, home-like feel to it. The location is unassuming but well cared for, clean, and very welcoming. It's easily one of the best places in the area to enjoy a romantic dinner, but it can also be a fun place to bring the whole family.

The Menu

The menu at Marcello's Cucina Italiana is full of fun choices, as well as all of the favorites that you may expect from a rustic Italian restaurant. The antipasto includes spicy meatballs, steamers, which are fresh clams in a white wine, butter sauce, as well as calamaretti fritta, or fried squid. You may also want to check out the salads here. There are a number of fantastic options, including greens with fresh fruit and nuts topped with goat cheese, which is exceptional. You can also choose to add jumbo prawns, beef filet, wild salmon, or chicken to your salad. That's a full meal in itself when you see the size of the portions.

There's house-made lasagna to enjoy with its spicy Italian sausage in it. You can also check out the linguini vongole, which features steamer clams. They also have all of the traditional dishes, including linguini with Italian sausage, spaghetti marina or with meat sauce, and alfredo. You can also change things up if you want a different type of sauce with your meal, for example.

There's also a full menu of desserts. Just ask for what is available. They are not your average or basic cake but handcrafted desserts that are so good you will want to save some to take home with you to enjoy again later.

Our Recommendations

There's a full menu of pasta, including linguini puttanesca, which has prawns, scallops, artichokes, mushrooms, and salmon. It's a hearty, filling meal that is bursting with flavors, especially from the fresh pest sauce. I would highly recommend this choice when you want something that is less heavy and full of excellent flavors.

If you have someone in your party that may be looking for something less Italian, there are a few great options on the menu, including pork Osso Bucco, which is slow roasted pork shank with Dijon-chianti cream, jalapeno, with garlic-infused mashed potatoes, and seasonal vegetables. It's a fantastic choice. They also offer a Filetto, which is a filet mignon with a mushroom demi-glaze with mashed potatoes. These are excellent choices for a more elegant meal.

The pizza is a must, even if you take some home with you. It's a hand tossed pizza. The dough is made fresh in house each day. There are a lot of great choices on the menu, including a build your own pizza version. The Italian Bliss has artichoke, mushroom, sundried tomato, gorgonzola, mozzarella, and a pesto cream. You can even have it topped with prosciutto.

Check out the calzones, too. You can build your own calzone with the ingredients you want, but don't overlook the Supremo, which features ground up spicy Italian sausage, olives, green peppers, red peppers, and mushrooms.