restaurants Archives - Page 2 of 2

Morello Italian Bistro

I recently had dinner at Morello Italian Bistro on Greenwich Ave in Greenwich for a friend’s birthday and was reminded why it’s one of my favorite local restaurants!

I remember the firs time I visited the building now occupied by Morello. The dome ceiling has a big brick pattern that I loved looking at. The beautiful atmosphere is still the same. Morello has a really cool bar and the set up of the restaurant is great. It’s just the kind of place where you can relax, feel catered to, and know you are about to take in an outstanding meal!

One menu item I just love is the Butternut Squash Ravioli. It is so light and healthy tasting with the best flavors. Some of my other favorite menu items are Baked Mac & Cheese and Chicken Breast Piccata, but you really can’t go wrong. Morello’s food is always fresh and very well prepared. For dessert, you must try the Bomboloni. These fresh doughnuts with orange-vanilla cream and chocolate sauce are to die for!

To see Morello’s full menu, plan a visit, or make reservations, visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook to keep updated on special events!

Olio

Located at 934 Hope St. in Stamford, Olio is a favorite restaurant of ours not only because it’s practically in our backyard, but because the food is fantastic!

Located at 934 Hope St. in Stamford, Olio is a favorite restaurant of ours not only because it’s practically in our backyard, but because the food is fantastic! My husband and I take advantage of their take-out option at least a couple of nights a week and are never disappointed.

olio stamford ct 2 — Olio Restaurant on Hope

Chef/owner Steve Costanzo, along with his business partner Moira Hyland, have created a wonderful menu that includes a lot of locally produced and/or organic items. The menu changes with the seasons to offer foods such as fish, meat, poultry, pasta, and salads at the peak of their availability. The food is fresh and you simply cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. The spare ribs are to die for! Olio offers a warm atmosphere and reasonable prices as well.

olio stamford ct — Olio’s dining room. Image via Bon Vivant.

Olio is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and for brunch on Sunday. They only accept dinner reservations for groups of six or more, so keep that in mind when planning a visit. On Tuesdays, Olio diners enjoy 1/2 price bottles of wine with the purchase of an entree while on Wednesday evenings the menu features the Chef’s special 3 course meal.

olio stamford ct 7 — Spare ribs. Image via CTbites.

olio stamford ct 8 — Bread pudding. Image via CTbites.

To see Oilo’s full menu or to learn about their catering services, visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Fig and Olive Restaurant, NYC

One of my favorite places to eat in NYC is Fig and Olive Restaurant.

One of my favorite places to eat in NYC is Fig and Olive Restaurant. With three locations around town (also in Westchester, NY and West Hollywood, CA) and delicious food and wine for lunch or dinner, I can always find a good reason to stop in for a meal!

Laurent Halasz, founder of Fig and Olive, expresses the restaurant’s philosophy best: “At FIG & OLIVE, I want to highlight our menu’s core ingredient of olive oil, which we use in place of butter in our dishes. From a sweet and delicate olive oil from the French Riviera that pairs well with a Steamed Lemon Sole Papillote to an assertive Spanish Picual or a Tuscan olive oil that holds its own with Seared Salmon with Fennel and Green Olives, and a green-fruit Provence olive oil that we serve with a Green Apple Sorbet. Our cuisine along with an elegant white, green and terra-cotta décor immerse our guests into the essence of the Mediterranean region in which I grew up.”

This philosophy serves Fig and Olive very well. Featuring a communal table and tasting bar backed by a beautiful display of olive oils, the entrance to the restaurant immediately stresses that treasured ingredient at the center of each dish. The warm and intimate main dining room provides a view of the open kitchen where more bottles of olive oil from around the world are on display.

Of course, the true star of the show at Fig and Olive is the food. For lunch, you absolutely can’t go wrong the the Prix Fixe menu. Served Monday through Friday, you choose three courses for one set price: crostini, soup or carpaccio, and a main dish. Following the meal, coffee or tea is served with biscotti. Choosing what to order from the prix fixe menu provides quite a challenge. Crostini choices include Prosciutto, Ricotta, Fig, Olive, Walnut or Manchego, Fig, Marcona Almond, among others. Follow that with a Cote d’Azure Fish Soup or Beef Carpaccio and a main course of Grilled Steak Skewers and Couscous or Pumpkin Sage Ravioli.

The regular lunch or dinner menu includes temptations such as the Fig and Olive Club Sandwich, the Riviera Shrimp and Salmon Salad, assorted cheeses, Rosemary Lamb Chops, Trio De La Mer Bouillabaisse, and Filet Mignon from grass fed beef. In other words, the menu boasts a range of dishes to appeal to any tastes, all expertly prepared and elegantly presented. Desserts range from Raspberry Sorbet to Chocolate Pot de Creme to Marzipan Cake with, of course, various coffees, teas, and dessert drinks.

If you’re looking for a pleasant lunch or sumptuous dinner, you really can’t go wrong at Fig and Olive for food, service, and atmosphere! They are also on Facebook if you’d like to keep up to date on events and menu changes.