How a pair of the Island’s top chefs have been working in the same kitchen for decades…deliciously

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos by Alex Barreto

Coming from a family of restaurateurs, Joe Labriola was always surrounded by amazing food.

“My father owns the Marina Cafe, so I’ve been in the kitchen there since I was about 11 years old. I guess you could even say I grew up there,” he said. “I loved the excitement and the creativity, so that’s where I hung around.”

By the time he was in high school, Labriola started washing dishes and was later trained as a prep cook. He followed his passion further when he enrolled in the former New York Restaurant School to hone his skills, and graduated in 1993.

“I worked in corporate dining in the mid 1990s,” the chef recalled, detailing particularly a challenging cooking gig for Prudential. “But my heart has always been here at the Marina Cafe.”

He currently serves as the restaurant’s co-head chef, a title he shares with Chef Michael Peluso, who has also worked at the Great Kills eatery for most of his life.

“My family was also in the restaurant business, so I too have been doing this since I was a kid,” Peluso said. “I started as a line cook learning all of the different aspects of the kitchen, then working in the field to learn and perfect my craft. I’ve been working at the Marina for 27 years.”

Together, Labriola and Peluso, who have held their shared job slots for about two years, collaborate styles to create a hybrid menu of Italian classics and Mediterranean tastes.

“I love to be creative in the kitchen, and experiment with a million different ideas and recipes to create the restaurant’s specialties and innovative dishes,” Labriola explained. “Every season we change our ingredients and work to make each dish very flavorful and unique. For fall, we’re working with a lot of rainbow Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower—beautiful, seasonal vegetables that really set off hearty autumn flavor.”

One of chefs’ most popular dishes is their Italian Egg Roll stuffed with sausage, broccoli rabe, risotto, and sun dried tomatoes in a tomato basil sauce.

“It has won several awards at various cooking shows,” Chef Peluso said. “And our Tomahawk Steak, served with herb butter and garlic smashed potatoes, is one of our bestselling specials.”

The two have also become locally famous for their pan roasted Bronzini Fillet, Brick-Pressed Organic Chicken, Maryland Crab Cakes served with tomato remoulade and lemon crème fraiche, and a homemade cavatelli topped with Bolognese and fresh ricotta.

“Staten Islanders love traditional, simple Italian dishes—we just offer them with a modern twist,” Labriola explained.

Peluso, who is inspired to create new dishes by the freshest fish and meats, agreed.

“Together our cooking style is traditional Italian with a nice Mediterranean mix,” he concluded. “We offer a range of everything from seafood and steaks to pastas and fresh soups, salads, and appetizers. When you use all of the best quality meats, vegetables, and fish, it makes for a better dish, and that’s what we strive to create every day in our kitchen.”

Marina Cafe
154 Mansion Avenue / 718.967.3077
marinacafesi.com