The "The Sauce Makes The Difference" Story

Marabella's Family Restaurant at 9426 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, NJ.

It was an ordinary day.  Talking about a place to eat our evening meal with my wife, brother and sister-in-law.  For the past few years Carol and I have been invited by my brother, Steve, and sister-in-law, Kathy, to share their week vacation at Stone Harbor, New Jersey with them.  We enjoy spending time on the beach, putting puzzles together at the rental, walking and shopping on the downtown streets of Stone Harbor and eating.  

We were first in line during our visit.  Didn't want them
to run our of their home-made tomato sauce.  Here is
what you see when you enter the restaurant.

We tend to do quite a bit of the latter with a visit to nearby Cape May for lunch at The Lobster House and having a few meals in Stone Harbor.  One of our favorite spots to eat in Stone Harbor is located at 9426 Third Ave. which is about three blocks from our rental this year. Place is known as Marabella's Family Restaurant and they have perhaps the best tomato sauce you will ever eat.  

Many photos adorn the walls of the restaurant.
This one is actor Troy Donohue who comments ...
P.S. You have great sauce!

Whether it is on their spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli, penne, linguine, manicotti or rigatoni, it has the most delicious flavor you will ever taste.  For the past few years, while visiting with Steve and Kathy, we have visited Marabella's for supper and have never been disappointed with our meal.  Years ago, when my mom and dad were still living, Carol and I would take mom and dad to Stone Harbor for a visit with mom's cousin Roy and his wife Susan.  They had a house along 3rd Street and would invite mom and dad down for a long weekend.  Naturally, Carol and I had to go with them, since I didn't want dad to drive that distance.  

Started with my salad  with creamy Italian dressing.

Every year we would treat Roy and Susan to supper at Marabella's.  Place hasn't changed in all the years we have been eating there.  It was in 1972 that Gabriel and Michaelina "Mom" Marabella opened their restaurant along Third Ave. in Stone Harbor.  It is truly a family restaurant with sons Gabriel and Angelo along with Aunt Mary helping to work at the restaurant.  Mom Marabella created menu items from recipes she learned from her Neopolitan mother and grandmother.  The motto of the restaurant has been "Use fresh ingredients, keep the prices reasonable, and maintain a super-clean enviroment and the customers will return."  

I had the homemade lasagna with their tomato sauce.

Wow, how simple can it get?  And, the people certainly return. Many a time we had to wait in front of the restaurant for seating.  And, in my opinion, the reason so many people visit is the tomato sauce.  Mom Marabelli retired at age eighty and the kitchen is now run by her son Angelo.  He has kept Mom's recipes intact and added a few new items to the menu.   Tonight's visit to Marabella's saw Steve and Kathy ordering Spaghetti with meatballs while Carol had Spaghetti with meat sauce and I had Homemade Lasagna with meat sauce.  Can't go wrong with pasta with Marabella's tomato sauce.  The meals come with garlic bread and a salad.  Usually get more than you can eat at a very resonable price.  Give it a try if you ever make a visit to Stone Harbor, New Jersey.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.