Discreet Diner: Marcello's Fresh Catch Bistro

With the number of restaurants opening and closing frequently in South Jersey, the Discreet Diner greatly appreciates readers' recommendations on neighborhood favorites.

Paula J. Storck of Mount Laurel recently e-mailed: "I would like to suggest you try Marcello's Fresh Catch Bistro. . . . This was formerly the Pacific Grill, which myself and my aunt had frequented on a regular basis. I recently dined there on two different occasions (one time trying the three-course special) and was more than pleased! Especially since I love seafood and good seafood places are hard to find!"

Bring on the flounder. A deputy and I headed right over.

Marcello di Pietro, whose family owns an Italian place nearby and other fish restaurants on Long Beach Island, opened the Fresh Catch Bistro in September. He buys seafood daily from the Philadelphia docks and this spring and summer will also purchase fresh from Barnegat Light.

Marcello's bistro has an elegant dining room - white linen tablecloths amid walls curtained in shades of blue, creating an undersea delight. Our table had a floating votive candle. The lobby featured bowls of Japanese fighting fish. Much thought went into the restaurant's makeover; in fact, there's a "before and after" binder patrons can page through while waiting for a table - an idea right off HGTV.

The restaurant does creative marketing, as well. The $20 three-course dinner is offered Sunday, Monday, Tuesday; the lunch menu is a half-sized, half-price version of dinner.

Our reader was right: It's clearly an ocean-going menu; there's little for those who don't care for fish. For those who do, however, it's a difficult choice: Fish burgers, lobster rolls, crab Newburg, shrimp scampi, and salmon, flounder, sea bass, tilapia, mahi-mahi - grilled, sauteed or blackened. The most popular choice is homemade crab cakes, di Pietro said.

The meal begins with a tasty bread basket and salad. We were a bit unsure how to approach the giant wedge of iceberg lettuce with choice of dressing, grape tomato, feta and red onion rings. It's an unusual presentation.

Flounder on the Vine ($10) offers the mild filet in a creamy dill sauce with green grapes, accompanied by roasted potato wedges. We weren't surprised to hear it was a menu favorite.

Sesame-encrusted salmon ($10) was nicely seared with teriyaki, served over rice, with broccoli and fresh tomato.

Service was pleasant, but slow the day we stopped in; a couple of large groups may have taken the restaurant by surprise.

If you're in the mood for fish, Marcello's is a good catch.

Discreet Diner: Marcello's Fresh Catch Bistro

1200 S. Church St. (Village II Shopping Center), Mount Laurel.

856-778-2200.

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Parking lot: Yes.

Reservations: Yes.

Cocktails: BYOB.

Handicapped accessible: Yes.

Children's menu: Yes.