About a month ago, BR and I were invited to a newly opened Italian restaurant in the village. The restaurant was newly named Abbottega and has sister locations in Italy as well as Miami. Their menu boasts a variety of eats ranging from smaller plates for an afterwork appertif with a bottle of wine as well as some heftier and more classic dishes that one might find in a Tuscan kitchen.
We arrived at the start of dinner service on a weeknight. We knew we were in for a east but (spoiler alert) we left filled to the brim with delicious handmade goodness.
The interior is quaint and calm. Great for an intimate gathering as well as some low key after work socializing.
In the main dining area lies a large marble top counter where a chef busily prepares homemade pasta.
A true sight to behold as you wait for freshly made ravioli and spaghetti.
I truly loved the mason jar light fixtures. They added a lovely rustic touch.
We allowed the chef to choose our wine. A deliciously crisp and chilled Pinot Grigio. Quite refreshing on a hot summer evening
Couldn’t resist watching the live action ravioli making. Like dinner and a show!
This is the view of the ravioli making from my seat.
While we sipped our wine, we were presented with the bread basket. The crust was crusty and the innards fluffy and warm. The spread? Unlike anything I have ever tasted.
An emulsion of arugula, olive oil, cream cheese and salt. Reminiscent of a pesto but whipped to be light and airy.
It was addicting. We used every crumb of bread to sop up this creamy spread.
We sampled the small plates which are designed for sharing (when ordering more than 1) and imbibing wine.
This wilted spinach with tartufo cheese is the perfect appetizer to start with. Like a warm salad. The spinach is garlicky and not over cooked. Its played with sharp tartufo cheese and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar. Wonderful!
This baby was by far our favorite small plate. The eggplant parmesan.
Delicate slices of eggplant dusted with breadcrumbs and fried then covered in a housemade marinara. The thinly shaved parmesan cheese slices melted from the warmth of the eggplant and made a perfect addition.
We seriously could not stop eating this. Reminds me of my grandmothers amazing cooking.
This 3rd small plate seemed to be more up BRs alley. A plate of house cured meat with arugula, shaved pecorino slices and truffle oil.
The meat was supple with good amounts of fat in it and combined nicely with the bite from the arugula and good use of truffle oil.
Next up was more homemade pasta. Not a spaghetti but a super thick stand. Using a long board with wires like a guitar, the chef placed the pasta dough onto the device and pressed down to create these uniform strands of pasta.
The marinara sauce had a spicy kick to it. This dish combined with the small eggplant plate would make for a perfect dinner. Or even lunch (they are now serving lunch!)
This pasta, while delicious, was too al dente for my liking (I know, shocking!)
Artichoke and parmesan ravioli sauteed in a sage butter sauce with crispy priscuitto on top.
After watching this ravioli come together, I was not expecting this. It was meaty and flavorful.
The filling so expertly prepared that it reminded me of a finely minced meat and cheese filled ravioli. The sage butter sauce was amazing.
A picturesque char-broiled Branzino atop a bed of spinach, avocado puréed with shrimp. The Branzino needed nothing but a sprinkling of salt and pepper. For anyone looking for a lighter dish, this will surely not disappoint.
There was barely any room in our stomachs for the dessert. A coffee panna cotta.
This panna cotta with a rich ganache, and ground espresso was decadent. It was rich and while the chocolate might have been too much on its own, the coffee helped take it down a notch. A truly delicious dessert; but if I had a choice, I would opt for a vanilla panna cotta with a fruit compote- Im a fan of simplicity.
Overall, Abbottega was a wonderful place to enjoy an intimate evening. The food is prepared with love and all from scratch…
Just like nonna makes it.
