If you want to make any occasion extra special and important, a dinner reservation at Mario’s is naturally the best option. Since 1971, Mario’s has remained true to its passion for serving the best heirloom dishes in the standards of perfection. It has gone beyond being a restaurant to becoming an experience to celebrate life’s defining moments or to simply make memories and bond with family, friends, colleagues, and your special someone. For more than four decades, it is this sentiment that made Mario’s one of Baguio’s most cherished gem.
Mario’s is the primer in exquisite food and dining at Baguio City. On November 28 we got to experience what “exquisite” means in the Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet featuring classic dishes like Roast Turkey, Cochinillo, Roast USDA Beef, Paella, and so much more. Mario’s was filled that night with everyone enjoying each other’s company over scrumptious dishes that feel and taste like the warm spice of autumn. There truly is nothing like dinners at Mario’s if you think about it. So, if you are thinking of booking a dinner reservation, we bring good tidings! Beginning December 5 and every succeeding Thursday, Mario’s will be having Dinner Buffets for only Php750 – every week, all-year-round.
Mario’s: Innovative and Creative
Creativity and innovation are two important things for any restaurant to have and for being in the restaurant scene for more than four decades, Mario’s always made sure to know the trends and stay updated. This is one of the reasons why Mario’s is launching a food catering delivery service with Food Panda. They decided to start a delivery service because Mario’s wants to make fine dining more accessible and more affordable. Basically, the delivery service brings fine dining right to your kitchen and to your home. You no longer need to spend on a venue, service, flower arrangements, a serenade, and other things to experience fine dining.
The delivery service will be available every day and people can order menu packages that are either good for four, for six, or up to twelve. For orders more than that, just be sure to call them in advance. This Christmas Season, the Holiday Favorites will be available for delivery. The special holiday menu includes the best of Mario’s traditional dishes like Chicken Relleno, Paella Negra, Chicken Galantina, Paella Valenciana, Pot Roast Beef, Beef Lasagne, Pastel de Lengua, Callos Madrileña, Cochinillo, and Roast Beef. The Cochinillo comes in a minimum of 5 kilograms and serves 20 to 25 persons, while the Roast Beef is a minimum of 3 kilograms, serving 20-25 persons as well.
Roast Turkey with cranberry and gravy is also available for delivery whether you prefer it plain, with herbed cornbread stuffing or prepared as Relleno de Pabo. For something sweet to end the meal, you can order an of their decadent desserts: Canonigo, Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake, Carrot cake, Key Lime Pie, Toffee Sans Rival, Belgian Chocolate Cake, Apple Walnut Cake, New York Cheese Cake, or the Sugar-Free Apple Pie.
Aside from the delivery service, Mario’s will already have dinner buffets every Thursday simply because they observed that people in Baguio are into buffets. It’s what people are looking for. Since Mario’s wants to have more locals and young professionals experience the best dining experience, the weekly dinner buffet is made more affordable at Php 750 featuring five meat dishes (beef, pork, chicken, and fish), soup of the day, two pasta dishes, two kinds of rice, a vegetable and potato dish, and some desserts as a perfect meal-ender. The menu will change every Thursday so, you know, you can actually go visit every week!
Last November 28, we were able to get the full experience of Mario’s Dinner Buffet during their Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet special. Watching the service staff setting up and plating dishes is quite alluring and serene at the same time. Attention to detail and utmost care is observed. We started dinner with the bread basket and some butter then we had Mario’s Ceasar Salad prepared tableside– the crown jewel. At every visit, Mario’s Ceasar Salad is always perfectly “divine and unreplicable.”
The Ginger Squash Soup with Parmesan Croutons was rich and soothing because of its natural flavors. For appetizers, we had the smoky and savory Beetroot Bilinis with Garlic Mushrooms; the Salmon with Green Herb Salsa on Baguette, bold in flavors but refreshing at the same time; and the classic Breaded Mozzarella Sticks and Marinara Sauce. The variety of breads were equally enticing, especially with either the herbed cheese spread of balsamic parmesan. Breadlovers had a number of choices: focaccia, ciabatta, scones, buttermilk biscuits, and assorted rolls. And of course, the salad that night was Citrus Salad with Orange Vinaigrette. Each of these flavorful appetizers have their way of making you take it easy, almost like making time stop so you get enjoy the rest of the menu.
The pasta selections that night included Pot Chicken Spaghetti; the handmade Spinach Ravioli with Cheese Filling in Tomato Cream Sauce that mellow and vibrant of the same time; and the Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter. This was such a joy to have, it was like Thanksgiving in a mouthful with the warmth of cinnamon.
Moving on to the dinner’s showstoppers, Mario’s served Roast Turkey with Herbed Corn Bread Stuffing, Roast US Top Blade and Cochinillo. These made up the “holy trinity” of Thanksgiving comfort food. Having these on a Thanksgiving dinner plate makes you feel feel reassured that life is good. (Yes, pause and say that again). When it comes to these dishes, I would agree with what one of the guests that night said, “I’m not eating for hunger, I’m eating for taste.”
Other fabulous courses we enjoyed are Paella Valenciana, Tuscan Butter Salmon, Cajun Beef with Mushroom and Leeks, Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onion Rings, and Creamed Corn Gratin that will go well with either Steamed Pandan Rice or Roasted Yams. And of course, lest we forget, what better way is there to end a scrumptious dinner than to go have dessert. As a night cap, coffee or tea becomes a luxury with either with Clemente Mouse Cake, Chocolate Pecan Tarts, Salted Caramel Mocha Cake, or the Traditional Pumpkin Pie.
After a little bit of everything from Mario’s Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet, you get to have a moment to savor and experience the good life. I can go as far as saying that, you’ll find yourself thanking Mario’s for such a delectable and heartwarming treat. This is one of the many reasons why Mario’s is truly set-apart.
Mario’s is more than a restaurant, it is where moments are created
I must say, the first and fondest memories I have of Mario’s is a Christmas holiday family dinner in the early 90’s. I was eight or nine then and I remember running around and crawling under the dinner tables with my younger sister and cousins in our dinner party dresses at the second floor of Mario’s when they were still at Session Road. Tights becoming scruffy, we were called to take our seats because dinner was being served.
As a young girl, I was absolutely mesmerized by the dining experience that night. The dinner table was made elegant with meticulously plated dishes, the people around the table, my parents, uncles, aunties, all dapper and elegant with their table napkins on their laps; the smiles, laughs and voices heard about family tales recounted; and even more memorable to me as a wide-eyed girl was the moment when I tried the tall and fancy drink, “Shirley Temple.” These bits and pieces of cherished memories is what Mario’s is to me — a place where family memories are created through the sheer joy of savoring heirloom family recipes served to perfection “the Mario’s Way.”
“Mario’s is where memories are made, where important events are marked, where young men impress their dates, many times to eventually propose to their future spouses, and where families go to enjoy their bonding dinners.”
Mario’s is located at Upper Session Road, Baguio City. For reservations, call (074) 244-0125 or 0905-297-3384.