Arrosto Restaurant

        

Arrosto in Port Chester, New York is where our family goes when we ‘re in the mood to stay home but don’t want to cook.  Sure, we have to get in the car and drive 15 minutes and pajamas aren’t recommended attire, but the minute you walk though the door, it feels like you’re home again. The people there are lovely and always greet us by name. The space is softly lit with warm hues on the walls; the menu is loaded with family friendly food including wood fired oven pizza and homemade pastas.   Our children gobble up the Margherita Pizza and the Tagliatelle with the House Bolognese sauce. The dishes that draw me back to Arrosto are the Caesar salad, the Wood-Grilled Octopus, the Long Island Crescent Duck, the Line-Caught Atlantic Cod and the Gigante Bean Gratin. 

The Caesar salad is made with escarole instead of the traditional romaine and is blanketed in crushed hazelnuts and Grana Padana cheese.  I am obsessed with this salad! The octopus is so flavorful, and the chick pea puree that it’s served with is so satisfying, that even though its listed as an appetizer, it works for me as an entrée.  The Cod is always perfectly cooked and nicely flavored with roasted pepper and Tagiasca olives. The Duck Breast, which has been on the menu since the beginning, is our all-time favorite.  The duck is cooked medium rare and its gaminess is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the cherry mostarda and the nuttiness of the parsnip puree. The Gigante Bean Gratin is comfort food at its finest.  The beans are cooked with shallots and thyme, and then topped with Grana Padana and breadcrumbs.  The result is a rich and creamy side dish that could rival any Mac n’ cheese.

The wine list is another reason why we keep going back to Arrosto.  I really enjoy Italian wines, especially when paired with food.  Most people don’t realize that there are over 3,200 grape varieties that are indigenous to Italy.  This number is mind-blowing to me.  Arrosto’s wine list doesn’t have all 3,200 varieties but it certainly boasts a broad selection of them.  Every time we go there, we try a new Italian wine, albeit a varietal or blend, that we’ve never had before. Now that’s what I call fun! Owner, Godfrey Polistina has handpicked all of the wines on the list and he always helps guide us to the perfect choice to accompany our meal.

Chef, Richard Corbo, formerly of Union Square Café and Gary Danko, takes the Farm to Table approach in his cooking so the menu changes seasonally.  I can’t wait to see what he’ll be cooking up this fall.  Now if only I could wear my pajamas…