Mario's is a hidden gem in plain sight. The establishment has been around since Prohibition selling cigars and, of course, secretly serving liquor. Around thirty years ago, Mario Crismani and his wife took over the store and turned it into a cafe. When he went to City Hall to file for a name change, there was too much paperwork involved so Mario simply added his name in front and "cafe" at the end. The couple was the first to start serving focaccia bread sandwiches.
Sandwiches offerings include meatball, open-face tuna melt, chicken, vegetarian, and some others all served with two pieces of pepperoncini. There's lasagna on the menu and some desserts including the ever popular tiramisu. Drinks are simple with beer, wine, Graffeo coffee and tea.
My favorite is to just grab a table outside and enjoy a meatball sandwich with a beer. There are three large meatballs with a nice marinara sauce. Even without the sauce, the meatballs do perfectly fine, not dry at all. On a nice sunny afternoon, it's the way to go. And then there's the free attraction of watching tourists go by or sun-bathers at Washington Square Park. Let birthday month continue!
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