Reviewed by a Galpal
Reviewed By A Galpal - Liana's Trattoria
Friday, October 17, 2008
Loyal subscriber Sarah enjoyed an evening at Liana's, here's her review:
Rumor has it that Liana's Trattoria in Fairfield is famous for its gnocchi so naturally it was the first thing I wanted to try while dining there last week. I sat at the bar sipping my favorite Italian cocktail: Campari, soda, and a splash of orange, and proceeded to review the menu while waiting for a friend. The choices on the menu are not extensive but reflect simple and classic Italian dishes like Pasta e fagioli, Spaghetti Puttanesca, and Medaglioni de vitello (breaded veal medallions). It reminded me of the cooking my grandmother has always done so I instantly felt at home.
As soon as my friend arrived we were immediately seated in the small adjacent dining room which we shared with a handful of other diners. Our server, Carlos brought us a basket of rustic bread with a fragrant olive oil. A perfect beginning to our meal! Since my friend and I were in a tasting mood, we started with a few antipasti selections. The baked Portuguese sardines topped with a breadcrumb mixture of olives capers and anchovies were a treat. The dish was rich and crisp with a hint of brine and not overly salty. The sautéed eggplant layeredwith mozzarella and a light tomato sauce was also delicious. The tomato sauce – a specialty of the chef – was tangy and fresh and was complemented by whole basil leaf throughout each layer.
Our last antipasti dish was a half order of the famous gnocchi. We had our choice of a meat, marinara, sage butter or creamy gorgonzola sauce. I was hesitant to order a full portion as an entrée as sometimes gnocchi can be very heavy. These were most certainly not and left me wishing I had ordered a full plate. Instead of the more common potato based gnocchi, Liana makes hers fresh daily and out of ricotta cheese. They were fluffy little pillows of happiness. I'm not even kidding. The sage butter sauce was light, delicate and the perfect complement to this delectable dish. You must try them to fully understand…
Ok on to dinner (as if we hadn't sampled enough already!) My friend chose the Liguine con calamari; tomatoes, white wine, hot red pepper and fresh baby squid. The menu boasts that the dish is exquisite and it did not disappoint. The calamari was tender and perfectly cooked in a fresh and "just spicy enough" tomato sauce and the linguine was of course al dente. Exquisite indeed.
I ordered the Pesce in padella – Fresh fluke, breaded and sautéed served with linguine marinara. The herbed breading was quintessential Italian and as crispy as could be which lent a nice contrast to the delicate and mild flavor of the fluke. I'm almost ashamed to say it, but this may have actually been better than my grandmothers!
We finished off our meal with coffee and espresso (doppio for me!) and my absolute favorite dessert of all time, Panna Cotta. Liana serves hers with a fragrant lemon infused wild berry sauce. All I can say is yum!
This is definitely not your typical huge portioned and overly sauced Italian restaurant. Liana's Trattoria is simple, unpretentious, Italian food gone gourmet. Appetizers are priced between $10 - $12 and entrées are in the $20 - $29 range. The wine list is adequate but we took a recommendation from our waiter since most offering were Italian varieties we were unfamiliar with. I definitely recommend this restaurant for an intimate date night or celebratory dinner. And seriously, you must try the gnocchi. You won't be disappointed!
Liana's Trattoria
591 Tunxis Hill Rd
Fairfield
368-1235
Reservations are strongly recommended
Rumor has it that Liana's Trattoria in Fairfield is famous for its gnocchi so naturally it was the first thing I wanted to try while dining there last week. I sat at the bar sipping my favorite Italian cocktail: Campari, soda, and a splash of orange, and proceeded to review the menu while waiting for a friend. The choices on the menu are not extensive but reflect simple and classic Italian dishes like Pasta e fagioli, Spaghetti Puttanesca, and Medaglioni de vitello (breaded veal medallions). It reminded me of the cooking my grandmother has always done so I instantly felt at home.
As soon as my friend arrived we were immediately seated in the small adjacent dining room which we shared with a handful of other diners. Our server, Carlos brought us a basket of rustic bread with a fragrant olive oil. A perfect beginning to our meal! Since my friend and I were in a tasting mood, we started with a few antipasti selections. The baked Portuguese sardines topped with a breadcrumb mixture of olives capers and anchovies were a treat. The dish was rich and crisp with a hint of brine and not overly salty. The sautéed eggplant layeredwith mozzarella and a light tomato sauce was also delicious. The tomato sauce – a specialty of the chef – was tangy and fresh and was complemented by whole basil leaf throughout each layer.
Our last antipasti dish was a half order of the famous gnocchi. We had our choice of a meat, marinara, sage butter or creamy gorgonzola sauce. I was hesitant to order a full portion as an entrée as sometimes gnocchi can be very heavy. These were most certainly not and left me wishing I had ordered a full plate. Instead of the more common potato based gnocchi, Liana makes hers fresh daily and out of ricotta cheese. They were fluffy little pillows of happiness. I'm not even kidding. The sage butter sauce was light, delicate and the perfect complement to this delectable dish. You must try them to fully understand…
Ok on to dinner (as if we hadn't sampled enough already!) My friend chose the Liguine con calamari; tomatoes, white wine, hot red pepper and fresh baby squid. The menu boasts that the dish is exquisite and it did not disappoint. The calamari was tender and perfectly cooked in a fresh and "just spicy enough" tomato sauce and the linguine was of course al dente. Exquisite indeed.
I ordered the Pesce in padella – Fresh fluke, breaded and sautéed served with linguine marinara. The herbed breading was quintessential Italian and as crispy as could be which lent a nice contrast to the delicate and mild flavor of the fluke. I'm almost ashamed to say it, but this may have actually been better than my grandmothers!
We finished off our meal with coffee and espresso (doppio for me!) and my absolute favorite dessert of all time, Panna Cotta. Liana serves hers with a fragrant lemon infused wild berry sauce. All I can say is yum!
This is definitely not your typical huge portioned and overly sauced Italian restaurant. Liana's Trattoria is simple, unpretentious, Italian food gone gourmet. Appetizers are priced between $10 - $12 and entrées are in the $20 - $29 range. The wine list is adequate but we took a recommendation from our waiter since most offering were Italian varieties we were unfamiliar with. I definitely recommend this restaurant for an intimate date night or celebratory dinner. And seriously, you must try the gnocchi. You won't be disappointed!
Liana's Trattoria
591 Tunxis Hill Rd
Fairfield
368-1235
Reservations are strongly recommended
