We recently had the pleasure of visiting Hemenway’s in Providence RI, a place billed as “a Providence Seafood Classic.” It was a Saturday evening and the place was hopping. The space is an open design with a very high ceiling. Thus, the noise level is extreme, to the point that trying to hear our server explain the specials was nearly impossible. While the noise was a bit of a detraction, it did not diminish our overall enjoyment of the venue.

We started with a brace of cocktails… Given the look of the bar, our hopes were high. Therefore, we went the classic route – Negroni, Sidecar and Moscow Mule. The Negroni was well-made, although Carpano Antico was not available. The Sidecar was also well-made, including the proper sugar-rimmed coupe. Balance-wise, I prefer Sidecars a little heavier on the Triple Sec. This one was a trifle bitter. The Moscow Mule was, in a word, just wrong. The cocktail was fine but the signature copper mug was missing. Was it a total deal-breaker? No, but if you are going to serve one of the most identifiable cocktails of the last century, please have the proper “glassware.”

We went with a few of the classic starters. Bacon & Scallion Wrapped Scallops with a soy-ginger dipping sauce were very good. I prefer the bacon a bit less crispy, and the scallions seemed to be AWOL, but the soy-ginger dipping sauce was a nice touch. Crab & Lobster Cakes with roasted chili & citrus aioli, and a fresh herb & radish salad were moist, plump and flavorful. The Caesar Salad with focaccia croutons, and Grana Padano cheese was classic, fresh and enticing.

For a seafood restaurant, only one of us had a seafood main course. The balance were steaks and they were superb. The 8 Oz. Angus Filet Mignon accompanied by yukon mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and a red-wine demi glaze was tender and juicy, cooked to a perfect medium. The 12 Oz. Certified Angus New York Strip accompanied by parmesan-truffle steak fries, sautéed spinach, and a sauce bordelaise was exceptional, again cooked to a perfect “Pittsburgh style.” All of the sides were tasty, as were the sauces. The seafood main course was a Chilled Seafood Medley Salad consisting of shrimp, crab, lobster, Jeffery’s greens, feta cheese, shaved red onion, toasted pistachios, orange supreme, and drizzled with a preserved lemon vinaigrette. The Medley had quite possibly the largest jumbo shrimp I had ever seen and was stuffed with oodles of the other listed ingredients. It is clear why Hemenway’s earned their moniker as “Providence Seafood Classic.”

We finished with some artistic sweets. Warm Toffee Cake with a pear and cranberry compote, cinnamon raisin ice cream, oat crisp, and a warm toffee sauce, was delicious and so appropriate given the freezing temperatures outside. The Bourbon Pecan Tart with whipped vanilla sauce, candied pecans, and chocolate whiskey ice cream was also yummy and appropriately comforting.

We also enjoyed a nice bottle of 2015 Château Montmirail Cotes du Rhone which was reasonably priced and paired wonderfully with the steak. My one complaint – accuracy in the wine list… For starters, the wine was listed as a Vacqueyras… Not a big deal, but CDR is not Vacqueyras, despite being adjacent to one another. Also, the listed vintage was 2013, not 2015… again, not a big deal, but I think the 2013 would have been drinking better than the 2015… Completely understand that restaurants can only serve what is available…

Overall, Hemenway’s was a great evening out. The things that mattered most – food and service were impeccable. Ambiance was lacking and beverage service was on par, but not quite perfect. Value-wise, while the meal was not inexpensive, it was certainly worth the price. We’ll be back, probably on a week night to see if that reduces the noise and makes the space a little more intimate.

After reading a lot about Baldies Craft Pizzeria in Lakeville, MA (http://www.baldiescraftpizzeria.com/), we decided to take a trip… It’s about 35 minutes south of us on  Route 495 in my old stompin’ grounds… And it is never too far to travel for the promise of great food!

Arrived at 6:30 pm on a Thursday… crowded… we called ahead and even though they only accept reservations for parties of eight or more, they took our name, so the wait was manageable – 15 minutes, tops.

Overall, first impression… clean, open, inviting but not overly cozy… exactly what I expected for a pizzeria. Less noisy, given the crowd, which was a pleasant surprise.

Our waitress was friendly and engaging, and she took great care of us. One complaint – she was very slow… In fairness, not sure if it was her, the crowd or the kitchen. Or possibly a combination. In any event, I did think that two hours for a straightforward dinner for three was a bit much, but again, it could have been a combination of factors.

Ordered cocktails… Negroni and a Margarita. Nixed the Negroni – no Campari… actually, the bar staff never heard of the drink… A bit of a concern, especially given the fact that the Negroni is no longer an obscure cocktail… Margarita was fine. No salt on the rim, but the cocktail was well-balanced.

Ordered wine… 2014 Capostrano Montepulciano – excellent and at about twice retail, the price was very reasonable. Perfect with the cuisine.

The food, which was ostensibly the reason for the visit… generally very good to excellent.

The Burrata was exceptional, rich and complex.

The Calamari was okay – breading was a bit heavy and there were no tentacles and the rings were extremely small. Main dishes were all very tasty.

The Pappardelle Carbonara was incredibly creamy without being overly eggy.

The Steak Tips were cooked to order, which included NOT having the Chimichurri Sauce on the tips by request. Mistake. The marinade is a sweet, smoky marinade, which needs the acid of the Chimichurri to balance the dish. Do not forgo the sauce.

The Pilgrim pizza was very good, but a bit unbalanced… Ricotta with Mascarpone, caramelized onions and a drizzle of cranberry aioli. Everything was great, except the aioli was a bit too sweet, which, when combined with the sweetness of the onions and Mascarpone, unbalanced an otherwise great pie. Perfectly thin crust, by the way.

We finished with a few desserts, which ranged from excellent to mediocre. The Apple Cobbler with vanilla ice cream was terrific. Served warm, the abundance of fruit without much pastry was a welcomed finish to a filling meal. The Chocolate Lava Cake was mediocre at best. The cake itself, which was supposed to be molten, was served warm but it was bone dry and over-cooked. We did try to order the Pistachio Gelato but they were out.

So, overall, we found Baldies Pizzeria to be very good. The interesting specials (Duck Breast, Seared Scallops), which drew us here, seem to be a weekend feature, so we may brave the crowds and try a Friday/Saturday evening. Judging by the quality of the main dishes, the specials promise to be terrific.

Value-wise, we felt it was okay. All-in, including tip, the bill was $152. For three that averages a bit more than $50 per person. Adding in the drive, the brief wait and the slowness of the service and the value decreases. You can get away more cheaply and we left with three doggy bags, so there is another meal from the trip.

Bon Apetito!

A recent trip up north resulted in a surprise dining experience that was worthy of commentary. The Oxford House Inn is a lovely, quaint historic property in Fryeburg, ME, which is worth the trip if you are seeking fine food, superb service and abundant romance. As taken from their website:

The Oxford House Inn, a Western Maine Bed and Breakfast and Country Inn, offers visitors to the Mt. Washington Valley and Maine’s Western Lakes Region four beautifully appointed guest rooms, a fifty seat gourmet restaurant, and JONATHAN’S, a granite-walled pub.  Built in 1913 by renowned architect John Calvin Stevens, the stately Mission style architecture, stunning sunset mountain views, exceptional food and warm New England hospitality have established The Oxford House Inn as a dining and lodging destination.

And the writer does not lie… Our evening at the Inn was one of the more memorable evenings of late.

Our entrance into the Inn felt more like being welcomed into one’s home, with a comfortable parlor setting to greet weary travelers. Within moments our hostess checked us in and sat us in a hopelessly romantic table adjacent to the imposing stone fireplace, one seat being a lushly appointed, fixed reading nook.

Given the wintry mix outside, a brace of cocktails was in order. Of note, the Perfect Martinique was a well-balanced, refreshing rendition of this pre-prohibition classic. For starters, the Calabrese Salad with fresh Burrata Mozzarella was an enticing palate teaser. The Clam Chowder with Bacon was a creamy, comfort-food masterpiece, filled with plenty of goodies.

Entrees were the Grilled Filet Mignon and the Seared Bulgogi Glazed Duck Breast, both cooked to perfection. The Filet was served with Blue Cheese, Date & Caramelized Onion Stuffed Rosti Potatoes, Broccoli, and a Zinfandel Port Demi-Glace. I asked for “black and blue” and to my delight the meat served “black and blue…” be still my beating heart. The Duck Breast was served with Scallion Sticky Rice, Thai Veggie Slaw, and Bok Choy Kimchee. Again, the Duck was requested as “medium” and it was served “medium.” Both dishes showed balance and restraint, while still enlivening the taste buds appropriately. The chef touts the use of local, fresh ingredients and it shows in the quality and freshness of the dishes.

We finished with a pair of desserts, Apple Beignet and Warm Indian Pudding. The Beignet had a sweet apple filling, mulled cider caramel, and a cinnamon sabayon. Light and fluffy with a mélange of spicy, goodness. The Indian Pudding was served with smoked almond brittle, and rum raisin hard sauce. If there was one negative to the evening it was the Indian Pudding. The Pudding itself was perfect, earthy and deeply flavored with a pleasant interplay between sweet and sour. Unfortunately, the almond brittle and run raisin hard sauce were so sweet that they trounced the delicacy of the Pudding… In their individual components each was interesting, but together they clashed terribly.

With dinner we had to order the Black Pearl Mischief Maker, a Shiraz-Mourvedre blend from Paarl South Africa. The interesting hook? The winemaker is a Fryeburg native, Marylou Nash. A fun connection and actually a very nice wine, which went perfectly with our entrees.

Service was impeccable. Friendly, professional and well-timed, with just the correct amount of attention. We have already started planning our next visit, which we hope will involve staying in one of the beautifully appointed rooms upstairs.

I don’t get out on the town very often anymore… It has something to do with getting older, fatherhood, and living in the suburbs. Which is why, when I find a new place that interests me, I like to tell my friends about the experience.

Very recently a new bar/speakeasy/gastro pub entered the fray – Carrie Nation (http://www.carrienationcocktailclub.com/), located at 11 Beacon Street in Boston.

Despite the forced irony of the name (if I have to explain it, you probably should be reading something else…), the owners have done a credible job – good cocktails, decent food and friendly staff.

The other nice feature of the establishment is the combination of sleek, sexy gastro pub up front, with a great back room speakeasy that echoes nicely a prohibition age barroom, with comfortable seating and enticing billiard tables.

As far as cocktails go, the standard list of classics is available. There are some signature drinks as well, which I avoided – I test the skill of my local barkeeps and their establishments with a few key drinks: Corpse Reviver #2, Sidecar and, in summer, the Gimlet.

First up – Corpse Reviver #2 – disappointing… bar tender had no idea what it was or how it was made… I let him “look it up” on his WIFI device – came back with a recipe that involved Sambuca… Uh, let’s not take a chance… Opted for the Sloe Gin Fizz from the bar list. Quite nice. Refreshing and well-made.

Next up – Sidecar, from the bar list – in a word, superb. Correct ingredients, well-balanced and the coupe glass was appropriately rimmed with sugar.

Next up – Opted to give the wine list a try with a glass of the Red Label “claret blend” from California. Decent – enough structure to cut the fat in the Angus Bleu Cheese burger.

As far as food goes, the menu is ample, with numerous appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees to sate even the hungriest appetite. Started with the Fried Calamari – very nicely done. Juicy, succulent rings served atop wilted greens, tomato marinara and a pinch of parmesan. Very tasty. Not wanting to undo too much of my recent weight loss, proceeded with the previously mentioned Angus Bleu Cheese burger. Stacked high on a thick slices of iceberg lettuce and tomatoes, the burger was a “draw and quarter” job. The patty was flavorful and cooked to my satisfaction. Accompanying steak fries were perfect – toothy and appropriately seasoned.

Dessert, while tempting was left alone (see my previous reasoning).

In looking for a “liquid closer” though, I was saddened somewhat. Limited choices in the Amari/Digestif front, with puzzling looks when I started to name off a few of the more well-known varieties…

Okay, so the bar staff may need some help with “off list” requests, but the quality of the on-list cocktails, combined with the quality of the food and the exquisite ambience of the speakeasy made up for whatever minor twinges I experienced.

If you are looking for a new haunt that feels like it’s been here for years, definitely give Carrie Nation a try… Just leave the hatchet at home!

Cheers!

We finally visited a not-so-new local restaurant, The Terrace Café (www.WrenthamTerrace.com) and are absolutely thrilled to have such a welcoming in-town option for fine dining so close by!

The restaurant is approaching their one year anniversary and we are happy to pass along the good word to help keep them busy and popular.

The space is cozy with an awesome outside patio for dining al fresco (the above picture nicked from their website does the patio proud…). The lack of AC did make for a slightly warm experience, but the light and airy space was never oppressive.

Our server was charming – friendly, courteous and professional – attentive without being effusive. The owner, Nancy Lockwood spent a considerable period of time chatting with us, offering positive commentary on our wine selection. Speaking of which, the list is a nice selection of very serviceable bottles from a small distributor out of Weymouth (Masciarelli Wine Co.) – we had their estate bottled 2011 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, which was a good summer-weight red and at $18.00/bottle it was a phenomenal value. Massachusetts’ doggy-bag wine law meant I was able to order the bottle and happily take the remainder home for consumption later.

The food was great! I had the Pork Tenderloin with Potato Croquette and Broccoli, served with a pleasant cranberry glaze. The pork was perfectly prepared, tender, juicy and mouthwatering. Betsy had the Tower of Eggplant, a twist on eggplant parmigiana with alternating layers of eggplant, bell pepper and Mascarpone cheese. Pete had a very tasty cheeseburger with really tasty steak cut fries. All of our entrees presented very generous servings – none of us left hungry.

We finished with a slice of Tiramisu, which was a decadent serving of cocoa-dusted creaminess.

Overall, very impressive and we are especially delighted to have a local fine dining establishment that is committed to supporting the community. There was no live music while we were visiting, however, The Terrace Café does feature a great line-up of local musical entertainment most evenings. And, a full-service liquor license is coming in the future, meaning I can torture the bartenders with my eclectic cocktail requests… My hope is they give me a “spirits locker” to keep my favorite libations close at hand…

Cheers!

This blog has been a long time coming… Back in September we visited Boston for the weekend, staying at The Four Seasons and enjoying some really great food. We had never been to No. 9 Park (http://www.no9park.com/#no9_home), but had heard such amazing things over the years, so we made plans to dine there for our anniversary.

The restaurant itself is relatively unassuming, perched near the top of Park St, overlooking the Boston Common and the State House – very Brahmin… The dining room was cozy, with a welcoming vibe, perfect for a romantic evening of gustatory pleasure.

We each ordered a cocktail before the meal and having heard so many great things about the bar program at No. 9 Park, we were excited to sample our libations… Alas, we were a little disappointed… My Boulevardier lacked balance and the Corpse Reviver No. 2 was way too heavy on the Absinthe – neither cocktail was appropriately garnished… We thought this odd, given the accolades heaped on the bar at No. 9 Park, so we assumed that it must have been an off night…

Fortunately, the cocktails were the only minor distraction in an otherwise perfect evening. We opted for the Chef’s Tasting Menu, with several supplements and wine pairings – amassing eleven courses all together – La Grande Bouffe, indeed.

Overall the food was some of the finest creations we’ve ever had. Each course was delicious to eat and a feast for the eyes. The wine pairings were each very well done, providing a perfect balance to the food.

A few of the highlights from the evening worth noting…

• Roasted Rainbow Trout with mi-cuit egg, American caviar and bacon – Moist, flaky fish with a lively, crispy skin – a perfect blend of delicate, brininess with smoky richness. (å  Paired with 2009 Domaine Weinbach Pinot Blanc Clos des Capucins – Wonderfully fruity, played beautifully with the range of flavors in the dish – the acidity in the wine made a perfect palate cleanser.)

• Handmade Garganelli with veal sweetbreads, Pecorino-Caggiano and Burgundian escargot – Wow! Simply outstanding – a teasing mix of sour and sweet with layers of unfolding complexity – toothy consistency – Yum! (å  Paired with 2010 Dei Rosso di Montepulciano – Pure perfection – light enough to allow the layers of complexity to shine with enough structure and acidity to balance the dish.)

• Seared Labelle Farm Foie Gras with prime sirloin carpaccio, frisée and celery rémoulade – Amazing! Duck liver is such a wonderful delicacy, with a richness all its own. (å  Paired with 2010 Château Soucherie Anjou Rouge – Good pairing, a little rustic and muted. The 2010 Pellegrino Passito di Pantelleria was a better match – the sweetness of the wine paired lovingly with the rich fattiness of the duck.)

• Selection of Artisanal Cheese: Pecorino Caggiano; Delice de Bourgogne; Cardo; Orb Weaver Cave Aged Northstone; Bayley Hazen Blue – Superb – the cheeses were an ideal transition to dessert, each one ripened to perfection, showing marvelously. (å  Paired with 2010 Domaine de Fenouileet Muscat de Beaumes de Venise; NV Gonzalez Byass Amontillado Sherry Viña AB; Ferreira 10 year old Tawny Porto – The wines were a bit of a mixed bag given the selected cheeses – the Muscat paired well with all of the selections; the Tawny went well with most of the selections, although it was a little light for the blue; the Sherry struggled with all of the selections and was a bit disappointing.)

• Chocolate Pavé with bourbon raisin, miso and banana – a perfect conclusion to a perfect meal – rich, luxurious and exotic. (å  Paired with Broadbent Madeira Malmsey 10 Years Old – Well matched – equally rich and the burnt orange rind and fig notes picked up dried fruit of the raisins perfectly creating a lovely echo on the finish.)

Service was exceptional – our primary server, Christine was a love, giving us all of the details we crave. Well informed about the wines, she was a helpful guide through our culinary adventure.

Our only regret from the evening was that we wished we had visited sooner!

Cheers!

I love authentic and artisanal! I love places where attention to detail is everything. I love an experience that feels like it was tailored just to me. And I especially love when I don’t have to travel far, nor spend a fortune for such amenities.

Of where do I speak? La Maison de Coco (www.lamaisondecoco.com) in Newport, RI, that’s where.

Nestled on the upper portion of Bellevue Avenue (#28 to be exact), and directly across the street from The Hotel Viking, La Maison de la Coco feels like a Paris transplant.

We thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon at their sidewalk tables, basking in the late fall sun on an unseasonably warm day. We first stopped at the Newport Wine Cellar (www.newportwinecellar.com), a small but well-provisioned shop next door. The owner is friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic, with a nice selection of tasty libations. We snapped up a 2009 Hugel Pinot Blanc from Alsace for lunch.

We wandered directly next door for just a moment, into the companion shop to Newport Wine Cellar, Le Petit Gourmet, a wonderful little shop specializing in well-ripened cheese and other artisanal products. We picked up a few truffle oils and nice balsamic vinegar for the road.

Finally, we settled into our sidewalk perch at La Maison Coco. Our wine was thoughtfully chilled and opened, served with a delightfully light fare – authentic French Onion soup, along with mixed greens drizzled with a tangy vinaigrette and a soft, fluffy crepe stuffed with asparagus and mushrooms. The wine was a perfect match – lightly floral, but with nice acidity to cleanse the palate.

We finished with an assortment of house made truffles – their specialty, and a well-balanced espresso.

Simply marvelous – like taking a trip to Paris without the hassles of airport security, or jet lag!

Bon Appétit!

Several years ago we came across Gracie’s in Providence (http://graciesprovidence.com), a terrific foodie destination if there ever was one. We were staying at one of our favorite haunts, the Historic Jacob Hill Inn in Seekonk (http://www.inn-providence-ri.com) and we were looking for a special place to celebrate our Anniversary, so off to Gracie’s we went. It has been a wonderful love affair ever since – between us, with The Jacob Hill Inn and with Gracie’s!

 (Our table at Gracie’s!)

We recently returned to jointly celebrate a few birthdays and we were greeted with a wonderful table setting, sprinkled with tiny celebratory stars and toasted with a complimentary taste of the Poema Cava and an amuse bouche of puréed butternut squash, white raisins steeped in honey all dusted with candied pecans – a heavenly way to start the night.

Gracie’s offers a traditional prix fixe menu, as well as a series of three-, five- and seven-course tasting menus. The tasting menus can be combined with wine pairings, if desired. We opted for the seven-course tasting menu, with wine pairings, a truly decadent gustatory pleasure.

First off, we enjoyed the 2009 Pacific Rim Riesling from the Columbia Valley paired with an artichoke barigoule accompanied by house made lardo, sugar snap peas and French breakfast radish drizzled with a lemon sabayon. Surprisingly, the pairing worked well, despite artichokes being among the “difficult to pair” foods. The sabayon picked up the citrus in the wine and carried through the dish really well.

Next up we enjoyed the 2010 Jonathan Edwards Estate Grown Cabernet Franc from Connecticut paired with handmade russet potato gnocchi with braised oxtail, foraged mushrooms, celeriac puree, and a three-year old provolone. The gnocchi were delightfully light foils to the rich intense sauce. Pairing-wise, the high acidity of the Cabernet Franc cut the richness of the dish nicely, but the wine was too light-bodied for the complexity of flavors.

For the third course we enjoyed the 2009 Domaine de Fenouille Muscat Beaume de Venise paired with sautéed Hudson Valley foie gras and brioche, hazelnut butter, Muscat grapes and red currant jam. For me, this was the course of the evening! The foie gras was rich and creamy and the pairing with the Muscat BdV was sheer bliss.

Fourth up, we enjoyed the 2010 Bichot Chablis paired with a brown butter seared Chatham cod loin with roasted baby carrot and turnips, puréed parsnip, pickled red pearl onion, black pepper cavatelli, marconi almonds and drizzled with parsley oil. The cod was moist and flaky and the mélange of accompaniments provided a pleasing contrast between the earthy root vegetables and the slightly tangy onion and black pepper. The pairing of the Chablis worked very well, cutting the buttery sauce, leaving the palate refreshed.

A dollop of house made key lime sorbet offered further palate cleansing in preparation for the fifth course, braised pork belly with cider braised mustard greens, hon-shimeji mushrooms, caramelized cipollini onion, crispy onion rings, pork cracklings and smoked red tomato jam paired with the 2009 Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhone. This course was a close second to the foie gras! The richness of the pork belly was balanced perfectly by the vinegary, slightly bitter mustard greens, a la North Carolina BBQ. The earthy mushrooms with the sweetness of the onions lent weight and an uplift to the finish. Pairing-wise, the CDR worked, but the vinegary mustard greens challenged the fresh, fruity palate of the wine somewhat unfavorably.

The sixth course was a cheese plate of three domestic artisanal delights, paired with Ferreira White Port. Leading the way was a Vermont Bijou, a creamy “jewel-like” goat cheese that was served with a drizzle of apple butter. Next on the plate was another Vermont offering from Twig Farm, their raw goat’s milk Tomme, served with more of the smoked red tomato jam. The last cheese was very local; Great Hill Blue from Marion, MA served with another local product, Aquidneck honeycomb and candied pecans. The wine worked very well against the Bijou and the Tomme and as long as you left the honeycomb alone, the Blue worked as well. Unfortunately, the incredible sweetness of the honeycomb, while soothing against the blue cheese, rendered the wine into unpleasant acidity.

The final course, dessert, was a lovely jasmine pound cake, drizzled with honey meringue, coconut-ginger-blood orange soup and black tea ice cream paired with the 2008 Terre Rouge Muscat-à-Petits Grains from the Shenandoah Valley in California. Light and delicate, this final course was the perfect way to finish such a gustatory masterpiece.

To us, a meal is not perfect unless the service matches the food and at Gracie’s, the wait staff is up to the challenge. Lydia and John, our primary servers took supremely wonderful care to make this evening ideal. Their blend of friendly, courteous and attentive service made us feel welcome and at home for the nearly three hour sojourn.

I can guarantee that if you enjoy food and wine – not just eating, but really delving into the tiny details and subtle nuance resulting from the time consuming process that is fine cuisine, you will be smitten by Gracie’s. The key is: opt for one of the tasting menus, with wine and do not rush!

I have, on occasion reviewed restaurants for my readers, believing that folks who enjoy fine wine also enjoy fine food and not just in their own kitchens…

We found ourselves at BonCaldo, our first visit, celebrating joint birthdays. As far as ambiance goes, BonCaldo was fairly standard – well lit, a little cramp and playing piped-in music that was a little too loud. Wait staff was reasonably attentive, although a dirty appetizer plate was never replaced, despite being requested, and it took several requests to replenish the bread basket. I noted too that the server, who was not the same person as our actual waiter was quite a surly individual, who was not particularly accurate when delivering our main courses…

As far as food goes, the quality was quite high, very good in fact, despite portions being on the small side. We started by sharing a few appetizers: Melanzana alla Parmigiana [SICILIA] eggplant – Calabro ricotta – mozzarella – San Marzano tomato sauce $7.95 and Calamari Fritti [LIGURIA] fried tubes & tentacles – hot cherry peppers – garlic & lemon aioli drizzle $9.95. The Melanzana was a rich, hearty treat. The Calamari was a bit disappointing – somewhat oily, devoid of hot cherry peppers with a weakly-flavored aioli…

On to the main courses: Gnocchi di Ricotta [TOSCANA] hand crafted “pillows” of ricotta cheese – tomato sauce – pecorino $9.95 / $14.95, Vitello alla Saltimbocca [LAZIO] veal cutlet – Prosciutto di Parma – sage – white wine – polenta – spinach $20.95 and Vitello alla Marsala [SICILIA] veal cutlet – prosciutto – mushrooms – Marsala wine – buttered linguine $20.95. The Gnocchi was heavenly – truly “pillows” of ricotta that melted in your mouth. The saltimbocca was great with a pleasantly biting sauce – the polenta was perfect, having a creamy richness and buttery, nutty flavor. One diner suggested taking a gallon or two home for later enjoyment… The Marsala was good, although I prefer mine a trifle creamier and served traditionally with the pasta on the side, as opposed to mixed together ala ragout. Overall, the food was excellent, albeit as noted, the portions were on the smaller side.

We had two wines with dinner: 2009 Planeta, Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG $45 (60% Nero d’Avola, 40% Frappato) and the 2009 Tomaresca Neprica, Puglia $32 (40% Negroamaro, 30% Primitivo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon) – both wines were very nice, the Planeta was the splashier, fruitier of the two, with the Tomaresca having more structure and dark fruit overtones. Prices were fair, hovering between 2-1/2 to 3 times retail.

Dessert brought a trio of sweet treats: Cannoli, Tiramisú and Budino. The cannoli was freshly-filled with a crisp shell, but the filling was lack-luster and tasted more like whipped cream than creamy ricotta. The tiramisú was good, although a bit sweet and lacking the strong espresso bite that we prefer. The budino, or traditional Italian bread pudding, was the best of the trio, showing sumptuous, creamy layers that melted in your mouth.

Dessert was enjoined by something rarely found, a flight of three Italian Amari, or bitter digestifs. The overall after-dinner drink list was appreciably dizzying – much welcomed as this aspect of restaurant wine lists is often lacking in depth… Commendable and delicious! We had the Nonino, the Lucano and the Ramazzotti, none of which I had tried previously and all of which sang the praises of Amari.

Would we return to BonCaldo? Definitely YES! The few noted shortcomings were not enough to offset the overall quality of the food – the Wine Spectator Award-Winning wine list was fairly priced and as previously mentioned the digestifs were simply amazing.

http://www.boncaldo.com/