New Canaan, CT
BAROLO TRATTORIA & WINE BAR
Backstory: An all-star team of restaurateurs, including Roe D’Uva of Bistro Bonne Nuit, Raffaele Gallo of Ridgefield’s Gallo Ristorante and Executive Chef Giuseppe Castellano have opened Barolo in the space formerly home to The Tuscan.
Need to Know: Start with salumi and cheese assortments — which include a house-made mozzarella — raw bar items, or appetizers like a wild boar sausage with cannellini beans. Pastas and pizzas are scratch-made in house daily, and all meat is organic and antibiotic-free. Try hearty Italian favorites like a veal chop Milanese and a Berkshire pork chop with peppers and pearl onions, or a risotto with artichoke, pancetta and black truffle.
Atmosphere: Masculine, hip and modern, with old-world touches like vintage black and white photography.
Don’t miss: The burrata with grapefruit, wild honey, pecans and smoked sundried tomato. At lunch, give the design-your-own salad menu a try. And, be sure to try a Barolo by the glass (or by the bottle, depending on how the evening shapes up).
Entrées: $18-$36
Try it: 136 Main St., New Canaan, CT, 203-920-1515, barolonewcanaan.com
Tarrytown, NY
THE TWISTED OAK
Backstory: In the former Isabella’s location, this New American restaurant is run by Chef Michael Cutney and co-owner Jacob Parenti. Chef Cutney is well-known in Westchester for his culinary stylings at Café of Love and 42 the Restaurant. A painting of Vincent Van Gogh inspired the restaurant’s name.
Need to Know: This is farmhouse food with modern elegance and lots of locally sourced ingredients. A list of second-course pastas is great for sharing as your appetizer. Meals here are made to order, so plan to take your time.
Atmosphere: Clean, simple décor that puts the focus on the food. The bar is small but bustling, and waitstaff is attentive. “I want guests to feel comfortable,” Cutney says. “I want them to have fun.”
Don’t Miss: House-made charcuterie and pastas, as well as a bar menu of local beers, New York wines and Hudson Valley whiskey.
Entrées: $18-$35
Try it: 61 Main St., Tarrytown, NY, 914-332-1992, thetwistedoakny.com
Pound Ridge, NY
THE INN AT POUND RIDGE
Backstory: Renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has restored this 1833 inn, and created a casually elegant restaurant and farm-to-table menu that has foodies frantic to visit.
Need to Know: Plan on making reservations well in advance. Expect local ingredients whenever possible,
and an atmosphere that merges country comforts with modern touches. The menu is an eclectic mix of Asian-
inspired dishes, inventive pizzas and New American classics.
Atmosphere: Rustic, multi-level space with two bars and an intimate feel.
Don’t miss: Rigatoni with meatballs and smoked chili-tomato ragu, and the grilled beef tenderloin with herbal spinach, tempura onions and hot sauce butter.
Entrées: $19-$38
Try it: 258 Westchester Ave., Pound Ridge, NY, 914-767-1400, theinnatpoundridge.com
