Situated right next to O'Neill's on the fringes of SoNo since November of last year, Bella Pasta recently held a Grand Opening to officially launch chef/owner Jose Rodriguez's Nuevo Latino and Mediterranean Fusion concept.
Born and raised in Riobamba, Ecuador, Jose owned a successful restaurant there in his early twenties before immigrating to New York City to broaden his culinary horizons.
After paying his dues on the line there he spent time in various European kitchens and then settled in Connecticut, where, with his two brothers, he's opened several successful Latin and Spanish restaurants, most recently Costa Brava of Norwalk.
During a brief chat with him to see how he would express this trend at Bella Pasta, Jose said "Nuevo Latino to me means no more rice and beans...there's nothing wrong with them, but we're aiming for better presentation and better flavors. In Ecuador we had a rich tradition of seafood from the Pacific, and my grandfather taught me to grow a variety of vegetables, so we truly ate farm to table...we even made our own cheese."
This latest permutation of his style and background is about representing Pan Latin cuisine as well as that of the Mediterranean on the same menu, fusing the many styles encompassed therein as he pleases. For instance, Jose told me "I love the flavor of Broccoli Rabe with sausage and pasta, but I use Spanish Chorizo instead of Italian Sausage because I think it works even better." A concept that is nuevo without raising too many eyebrows, and with such a vast repetoire Jose's interpretations can evolve to seemingly no end.
After a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Mayor of Norwalk, Richard Moccia, all the dignitaries in attendance like myself were welcomed to enjoy a sampling of Jose's typical and atypical dishes.
Looking at the spread spanning the bar, what immediately lured me in were the cold seafood plates...lemon cured Ceviche with clams, shrimp, whitefish and squid, perfectly and uniformly tender, with a bit of spice and the raw verve of fresh cilantro...the Mediterranean staple of Baccalá with fresh tomato and briny olives...Mussels served in their shells surrounded by lemon juice and olive oil, a good bit of jalapeno complimenting rather than overpowering their flavor.
Ricotta filled Empanadas brought me back to a fond memory of fried calzones I once had...sweet, soft dairy warmed through in the quick fry of the buttery and salty dough.
To drink were multi-colored Sangrias from the bar; the red one I chose tasted of tropical fruit with bits of orange and apple mingling about. The super cas[ual] and simpático atmosphere was evident in the little umbrellas propped in every glass.
The space is pretty open, with lacquered tables done up to look like Rioja, Malbec and other labels branded into wine crates. A little faux opening of a wood oven surrounded by stone façade caught my eye entering the dining room for the first time...perhaps for a more suitable feeling of warmth when the equatorial cuisines are a harder sell in CT’s winter months. Or maybe just a trick to get passers-by in since wood-burning ovens are all the rage nowadays. They have outdoor seating comprised of about half a dozen tables for two on the sidewalk in front.
The one pasta dish present was gluten-free Penne Salad featuring a mix of cauliflower, carrot and asparagus, simply blanched and left crispy, tossed with extra virgin olive oil.
Another station I couldn't resist was centered around a slab of deep amber colored Perníl…crunchy skin and fat and all, resounding with whole pig flavor, layered between slices of Focaccia with caramelized onions and raw tomato. Somewhere between Cuban Sandwich and Panino...most importantly, nowhere to go but good.
Even though it was only casual lunch on a weekday, being a drink or two and several small plates in, I'd have been remiss neglecting the desserts...chilled Peach Flan was custard perfection; smooth as can be and sitting in a pool of intensely sweet caramel syrup. Piña Colada Cheesecake on the other hand was dense and salty/sweet with a thick and moist cookie crust, studded with crunchy bits of pineapple.
With refreshing drinks flowing and simple brightly flavored seafood dishes abounding at Bella Pasta, the mood was set for Summer. I'll be back to see what chef comes up with in the seasons and fusions ahead.
Bella Pasta is located at 91 North Main Street in Norwalk. Open for lunch and dinner daily.
(203) 853-6000
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