Mansfield, home of the Comast Center, has always been a frequent destination for concertgoers, but the town has seldom been associated with fine dining. Trattoria La Cucina Della Nonna (Kitchen from my Grandmother) should put Mansfield back on the culinary map with its rustic, well executed Calabrian-inspired (Southern Italian) cuisine. Chef Kenny DeFazio opened his well-regarded eatery in 2000, with his wife, Yvonne, and locals have flocked there ever since.
Walking into the DeFazios’ establishment, the room certainly resembles Grandma’s kitchen in a comforting, traditional sense. The small dining room is intimate, with dimmed lighting and even lighter music playing overhead. Exposed brick walls surround the room, and the kitchen staff can be seen meticulously preparing meals towards the front. Towards the rear of the restaurant, a recently added, sleek martini bar/lounge area appears lively, demonstrating that even Nonna has a contemporary side to her.
For starters, Calamari-Sicilian ($9) are prepared in an innovative way, slow cooked and grilled (not fried), served with pine nuts and sweet currants in a slightly spicy tomato sauce over bruschetta. From the contrast in texture (rubbery calamari against the crunchiness of the bread, which sopped up the insanely good tomato sauce) to the balance of flavors (the heat of the sauce with the sweetness of the sweet currants), the dish was a hit with everyone at our table.
Entrees also impressed. Clams and linguine ($18) was served in either a traditional (tomato sauce) or spicy version. We select the latter option. I find the amount of chili flakes and accompanying heat a tad high to my liking, but others at the table disagree. Paired with a perfect amount of garlic, and with a generous serving of well-cooked clams, however, we all agree that overall, the dish is solid. Grilled rosemary lamb chops ($32) are beautifully cooked medium rare, whose flavor is enhanced by a sweet, yet surprisingly light fresh garden tomato sauce. I wonder if Nonna would be willing to share her recipe for that wonderful sauce? Tuna ($25) was yet another winning, unique Italian re-invention of a traditionally Asian dish, served sushi grade (interestingly enough, our waitress served this entrée last, stating that the chef was sensitive to the amount of time he let rare tuna sit on a plate), yet served over creamed Genoa tuna, peas and potato, and drizzled with pesto. The lone misfire of the evening was the Green pasta and eggplant ($18), consisting of taglierini, garlic, basil leaves, baby arugula, and a shade too much salt.
Desserts were also superb. Sicilian almond cake, plated with fresh berries and powdered sugar, was simple in stature, yet simply delicious in terms of its light texture and subtle sweetness. A concoction resembling a blueberry tiramisu was also pleasantly light and a creative take on the more traditional, coffee-tinged version. Most memorable, however, evoking several oohs and ahhs across the table, was the decadent English toffee cake pudding, baked in brown sugar, toffee sauce, and served with a small dollop of vanilla gelato. What’s most startling, however, was the dish’s pasta-like presentation of the cake, which was broken out into what appeared to be three pieces of toffee covered ravioli. It was a stunning dish to behold.
Service, with the exception of what felt like a slightly extended break between our appetizer and entrée, was well-paced and superb throughout the evening. Our server was genial, patient, extremely knowledgeable of the menu, and made us feel at home, as if we were in fact sitting tableside along with Nonna herself.
With reasonable price points, commendable service, and noteworthy cuisine, this is a Trattoria any Nonna would be proud of.
Walking into the DeFazios’ establishment, the room certainly resembles Grandma’s kitchen in a comforting, traditional sense. The small dining room is intimate, with dimmed lighting and even lighter music playing overhead. Exposed brick walls surround the room, and the kitchen staff can be seen meticulously preparing meals towards the front. Towards the rear of the restaurant, a recently added, sleek martini bar/lounge area appears lively, demonstrating that even Nonna has a contemporary side to her.
For starters, Calamari-Sicilian ($9) are prepared in an innovative way, slow cooked and grilled (not fried), served with pine nuts and sweet currants in a slightly spicy tomato sauce over bruschetta. From the contrast in texture (rubbery calamari against the crunchiness of the bread, which sopped up the insanely good tomato sauce) to the balance of flavors (the heat of the sauce with the sweetness of the sweet currants), the dish was a hit with everyone at our table.
Entrees also impressed. Clams and linguine ($18) was served in either a traditional (tomato sauce) or spicy version. We select the latter option. I find the amount of chili flakes and accompanying heat a tad high to my liking, but others at the table disagree. Paired with a perfect amount of garlic, and with a generous serving of well-cooked clams, however, we all agree that overall, the dish is solid. Grilled rosemary lamb chops ($32) are beautifully cooked medium rare, whose flavor is enhanced by a sweet, yet surprisingly light fresh garden tomato sauce. I wonder if Nonna would be willing to share her recipe for that wonderful sauce? Tuna ($25) was yet another winning, unique Italian re-invention of a traditionally Asian dish, served sushi grade (interestingly enough, our waitress served this entrée last, stating that the chef was sensitive to the amount of time he let rare tuna sit on a plate), yet served over creamed Genoa tuna, peas and potato, and drizzled with pesto. The lone misfire of the evening was the Green pasta and eggplant ($18), consisting of taglierini, garlic, basil leaves, baby arugula, and a shade too much salt.
Desserts were also superb. Sicilian almond cake, plated with fresh berries and powdered sugar, was simple in stature, yet simply delicious in terms of its light texture and subtle sweetness. A concoction resembling a blueberry tiramisu was also pleasantly light and a creative take on the more traditional, coffee-tinged version. Most memorable, however, evoking several oohs and ahhs across the table, was the decadent English toffee cake pudding, baked in brown sugar, toffee sauce, and served with a small dollop of vanilla gelato. What’s most startling, however, was the dish’s pasta-like presentation of the cake, which was broken out into what appeared to be three pieces of toffee covered ravioli. It was a stunning dish to behold.
Service, with the exception of what felt like a slightly extended break between our appetizer and entrée, was well-paced and superb throughout the evening. Our server was genial, patient, extremely knowledgeable of the menu, and made us feel at home, as if we were in fact sitting tableside along with Nonna herself.
With reasonable price points, commendable service, and noteworthy cuisine, this is a Trattoria any Nonna would be proud of.
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