Bistro di Marino

Listing Information:

Chef James Marino, owner and executive chef of Bistro di Marino, started out delivering pizzas as a teenager in his hometown of Collingswood, NJ. His culinary prowess and determination to succeed in the restaurant business soon landed him a position as head chef of Villa Barone. Not long after Marino was ready to open his own restaurant and in August of 2004 then 26 year old James Marino claimed a spot in the upscale restaurant community located on Haddon Avenue in Collingswood with Bistro di Marino. Since its inception, Bistro di Marino has expanded to nearly triple its original size, seating over 100 guests. In March of 2009 Marino opened Bistro To Go, a gourmet carry out version of the Italian restaurant that serves some of the patrons’ favorite dishes hot and ready to serve. Marino’s philosophy is shaped by his love of the food itself, not just the plate it comes on. “I want the food to say everything. If you have a nicely seared filet, you prepare it right, then you don’t need all the flashy presentation. Simplicity sometimes speaks louder than overdoing it with garnish.” Although Marino places most of his focus on the dishes themselves, the rustic yet contemporary setting of Bistro di Marino creates an all-natural feel that everyone can enjoy. Chef Marino has been fortunate enough to receive several of the region’s “Best Of” awards and was featured on the cover of South Jersey Source magazine in January of 2008. In addition, Marino was selected to appear on The Fretz Kitchen, a well-known cooking show that aired in May of 2007, which features the area’s top chefs and garners up to 25 million viewers in 9 million households located the Mid-Atlantic and New England areas.