A Galpal Review: Pane e Bene
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pane e Bene is the Post Road’s best kept culinary secret. The restaurant, which opened this summer, is tucked away in a small shopping center, with a side entrance and no real signage to speak of. If you weren’t looking for it, it would be easy to miss.
But once you find your way, there’s no way you’ll miss what’s going on inside this Italian eatery.
The space is cozy and elegantly accented, and boasts a full service bar where you could actually enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine with a galpal or two. The side entrance is significant, because it keeps the bustle of the Post Road at a comfortable distance, and makes room for oversized windows that let in plenty of afternoon light for the lunch crowd.
On the day Suzy stopped for lunch, Pane was offering a special autumn appetizer of roasted figs stuffed with gorgonzola and topped with crispy pancetta and a balsamic reduction. Even the bus boy as he cleared Suzy’s plate agreed, “The pancetta, aye, aye, aye!”
Both pastas Suzy sampled—a linguini with tuna, fresh tomatoes, olives and capers; and a pumpkin ravioli in sage butter—were delicious. But the pumpkin ravioli knocked Suzy’s socks clear off. Decadent is really the only word for it. The sweetness of the pumpkin paired with the savory butter and sage combination was utterly divine. When Suzy was finished, she wanted to do it all over again.
Sipping a meal-capping espresso, Suzy pondered how to recreate the dish at home, but realized it would probably just be more fun to come back to Pane e Bene again sometime soon.
Pane e Bene
1620 Post Rd. East
Westport
203-292-9584
www.paneebene.com
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Thursday: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Bar closes at 1 a.m.
Friday: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Bar closes at 1 a.m.
Saturday: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Bar closes at 1 a.m.
Sunday: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bar closes at 11 p.m.
But once you find your way, there’s no way you’ll miss what’s going on inside this Italian eatery.
The space is cozy and elegantly accented, and boasts a full service bar where you could actually enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine with a galpal or two. The side entrance is significant, because it keeps the bustle of the Post Road at a comfortable distance, and makes room for oversized windows that let in plenty of afternoon light for the lunch crowd.
On the day Suzy stopped for lunch, Pane was offering a special autumn appetizer of roasted figs stuffed with gorgonzola and topped with crispy pancetta and a balsamic reduction. Even the bus boy as he cleared Suzy’s plate agreed, “The pancetta, aye, aye, aye!”
Both pastas Suzy sampled—a linguini with tuna, fresh tomatoes, olives and capers; and a pumpkin ravioli in sage butter—were delicious. But the pumpkin ravioli knocked Suzy’s socks clear off. Decadent is really the only word for it. The sweetness of the pumpkin paired with the savory butter and sage combination was utterly divine. When Suzy was finished, she wanted to do it all over again.
Sipping a meal-capping espresso, Suzy pondered how to recreate the dish at home, but realized it would probably just be more fun to come back to Pane e Bene again sometime soon.
Pane e Bene
1620 Post Rd. East
Westport
203-292-9584
www.paneebene.com
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Thursday: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Bar closes at 1 a.m.
Friday: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Bar closes at 1 a.m.
Saturday: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Bar closes at 1 a.m.
Sunday: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bar closes at 11 p.m.
