Chef Marco DeCotiis and Donnamarie Motto have something special to raise a glass to this Valentine’s Day. The foodie couple celebrate their 14th anniversary with the announcement that they are the new sole owners of Noir Philadelphia at 1909 East Passyunk Avenue. DeCotiis and Motto also officially announce daily lunch service, service on Monday nights, renovations in the dining room and bar, and new menu items. This food coupling started over a shared passion for food – and continues as the two bring their crowd-pleasing Montreal-inspired Italian dishes to Philadelphia’s new restaurant row.

FLASHBACK
This love story started fourteen years ago when Marco and Donnamarie fell head over heels while working together at La Stanza, owned by brother Frank DeCotiis. “Marco came from Montreal. We laid eyes on each other and immediately fell in love,” said Donnamarie.

In 2000, soon after Marco went to culinary school in Montreal, his brother Frank opened up LaStanza. Marco came to the US to help with opening. Frank and Donnamarie had worked together in the past and became good friends. Frank asked her to be manager at LaStanza. After several months of running the restaurant together Marco and Donnamarie got closer and started to date. He wined and dined her at every restaurant in the city while he did research as a new chef. After all these years the couple took things to the next level and went from Co-Owner/Manager and Chef to sole owners.

NEW AT NOIR
With their anniversary, the couple is sharing their good fortune with their customers. They have honed in on a new theme for the restaurant – Motto described it as “an old industrial feel.” She said she hopes patrons will feel transported back to the Noir vibe of Montreal in the '30s, '40s and '50s. Upgrades include:
** The renovated dining room has lightened up. Instead of dark blacks and yellows, the restaurant now features muted orange walls, complete with black and white photography of Billie Holiday performing, a '40s bar scene, as well as numerous other special touches.
** To add to the charm and aesthetic beauty of Noir, large copper accents have been added the bar, and were designed by Philadelphia's John Christinzio.
** A “Edison Lounge décor” mural is underway in front of the bar.

The menu and hours are also seeing some noticeable upgrades as well. The restaurant will now:

Open for lunch and dinner on Mondays, starting at 5:00pm
Serve lunch every day, from 11:30am to 3:00pm. Many pasta dishes and sandwiches on the dinner menu will now appear on the lunch menu, including these highlights:
- Marco's Meatball Sandwich - This family favorite includes marinara, provolone and Parmesan cheeses. ($11.00)
- Cannuli Sausage Sandwich – This sandwich, which includes very local Cannuli sausages from 17th and Ritner streets, includes peppers, onions and provolone cheese. ($11.00)
- Crab Cake Sandwich with lemon caper remoulade has been added. ($14.00)

“Family” is a big part of the couple's history. Marco is one of nine kids and learned to cook farm fresh from a young age. In keeping up with their “family tradition,” the couple has also added new dinner and lunch dishes named after the couple's family members, including:

Paccheri Decio, named after Decotiis' father: Roasted eggplant, olives, capers, feta and tomato sauce. ($12.00)
Linguine Raffaela, named after Decotiis' mother – Shrimp, crab, asparagus and tomato lobster cream. ($17.00)
Johanna Chicken Italiano Sandwich, named after Motto's mother – Broccoli rabe, roasted peppers and provolone cheese. ($11.00)

Marco and Donnamarie also plan to entertain guests with new and upgraded events, including:

Comedy nights are planned, with the first scheduled for March 4.
Motto continues to host Ladies of the Avenue on the first Sunday of the month.
Paint night will continue, with the next event set for February 16.
The couple is planning for seasonal wine dinners.
$1.00 Montreal Hot Dog Night will continue during the Phillies season again this year.
Happy hour will be held every weekday from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Appetizers, at the bar, will be half off. Draft beer is $1.00 off and well drinks are $4.00.

WHAT’S NEXT
For tonight, the couple will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a full house – reservations are packed from open to close. Next, Noir will host East Passyunk Restaurant Week with reservations filling up every single night, and participate in Flavors of the Avenue. Their personal celebration (and a little rest) will have to wait until things slow down, which isn’t looking it will be anytime soon!

For more information, visit noirphiladelphia.com, call 267-319-1678, follow @noir_philly on Twitter or visit Noir Philadelphia on Facebook.