A Galpal Review: Rustico
Monday, January 16, 2012
If authentic, rustic Italian fare is your idea of a good winter meal, then Westport’s newest Italian eatery, Rustico, is for you. Located at 1431 Post Road E. (the space that formerly housed Pane Vino), Rustico is a cozy, almost homey space. While the decor is rather unremarkable, Chef Miguel D’Onofrio doesn’t miss a trick when it comes to the food.
The menu reads like it came from an Italian grandmother’s recipe box, packed with homemade pastas, baccala (traditional Italian salt cod), risotto and meat dishes. Fresh bread and a delicate, herbed olive oil greet you at your table. And Rustico boasts a full bar and a robust wine list to help ease you into your evening.
Suzy started off with an appetizer of asparagus rolotini. Tender, roasted asparagus wrapped in speck and paired with arugula, it was a wonderfully savory dish accented by the fresh greens.
After much deliberation, Suzy settled on a homemade orichette mixed with fig, artichoke hearts, speck, evoo, and porcini mushrooms so perfect they just pop in your mouth. The whole thing was decadently topped with shaved pecorino and truffle oil.
Suzy’s dinner date couldn’t resist the call of the osso bucco, which arrived complete with a marrow spoon. The meat was outrageously tender, and the rich sauce blended beautifully with the side of four cheese risotto. “The perfect midwinter meal,” was how Suzy’s date summed it up.
Suzy says Rustico is worth a taste. But call for a reservation. There wasn’t an empty seat in the house when Suzy dropped in.
Buon appetito!
Rustico
1431 Post Road E.
Westport
Call (203) 292-9638 for reservations.
The menu reads like it came from an Italian grandmother’s recipe box, packed with homemade pastas, baccala (traditional Italian salt cod), risotto and meat dishes. Fresh bread and a delicate, herbed olive oil greet you at your table. And Rustico boasts a full bar and a robust wine list to help ease you into your evening.
Suzy started off with an appetizer of asparagus rolotini. Tender, roasted asparagus wrapped in speck and paired with arugula, it was a wonderfully savory dish accented by the fresh greens.
After much deliberation, Suzy settled on a homemade orichette mixed with fig, artichoke hearts, speck, evoo, and porcini mushrooms so perfect they just pop in your mouth. The whole thing was decadently topped with shaved pecorino and truffle oil.
Suzy’s dinner date couldn’t resist the call of the osso bucco, which arrived complete with a marrow spoon. The meat was outrageously tender, and the rich sauce blended beautifully with the side of four cheese risotto. “The perfect midwinter meal,” was how Suzy’s date summed it up.
Suzy says Rustico is worth a taste. But call for a reservation. There wasn’t an empty seat in the house when Suzy dropped in.
Buon appetito!
Rustico
1431 Post Road E.
Westport
Call (203) 292-9638 for reservations.
