Located at what used to be Fisherman’s Rest in Cutchogue, Brian Pennacchia and his father Ettore renovated this space into something beautiful. Fisherman’s Rest had left this scene for nine years and the renovation took about four months. Recently situated in Mattituck, Brian and Ettore might’ve made the best decision for relocation. Their restaurant and this new location make a lovely pair.
As we walked into the restaurant, just around the corner of the main entrance, we couldn’t help but notice the gorgeous wine cellar, which takes up roughly half of a normal-sized wall. Brian explained he needed this built specifically for his reds. As we rounded the corner we noticed where we would be seated,outside under an umbrella to keep us from the burning sun.
Before we were served we had the usual water, but this water had slices of lemon, lime and oranges. It was a refreshing way to start off the afternoonafter the Potatohampton 5K run.
My waitress, Kathryn Zukowski, was so sweet. First she brought my parents and me the appetizers. First was their specialty grilled ciabatta bread with fresh bruschetta. Fresh doesn’t even explain my experience with this starter. It was so fresh and light that having larger tomatoes in the bruschetta made the dish spectacular. Normally a bruschetta has diced tomatoes where here it was star of the dish. With a dollop of goat cheese on top, the dish was perfection and the taste exploded in my mouth. The next appetizer was grilled calamari with pancetta and white beans. The sauce, made with white wine, lemon, rosemary, thyme and the fat from the pancetta was so tasty. It was a light course to get me started for my main courses.
Here it comes, the local fluke my mother had received. I could rave about this dish for hours. The fish was lightly dusted with polenta over arugula with yellow and red tomatoes, capers and olives. There was an ever so slight taste of the fish. Just enough so you knew it was fish but not that over poweringfishy scent or smell that could dangerously appear. The meal my father was given was veal rollatini stuffed with prosciutto and cheese. The veal laid atop a beautifully thick marsala sauce accompanied by mushrooms; all served with a golden brown rice ball filled with cheese and fresh herbs.
I ordered balsamic grilled marinated shrimp with vegetables and cappellini, a specific pasta in between spaghetti and angle hair, with a hole in the middle of the pasta- the perfect pasta to absorb a sauce. Considering this was a balsamic dish, I was concerned the balsamic was going to be too strong; as to my pleasant surprise it was airy and lively. It was absolutely delicious. The sauce was perfect for three jumbo shrimp, and I mean jumbo-sized shrimp grilled perfectly.
The meal was fabulous and quite filling but what would this meal be withouthomemade desserts. Being at an Italian restaurant I needed to order the tiramisu. When it arrived it was beautifully served in a wide mug with two lady fingers dug into the dessert. With this dessert we also got the Italian cheesecake with candied lemon on top. It was so fluffy and didn’t taste like an ordinary cheesecake. The candied lemon was a perfect addition, not too tart but not too sweet. Finally, my father had to try a specific coffee drink that sounded so out of the ordinary. It had Meledie Italian Chocolate Liqueur with Salerno Blood Orange Liqueur served with a chocolate cookie and rock candy to soak within the drink. The tastes of these two liqueurs blended so nicely, it was delectable and a great way to leave the restaurant – satisfied.
The newly located A Touch of Venice is at 28350 Main Road, Cutchogue. For reservations call 631-298-5851 or visit their website touchofvenice.com. They are open Noon – 9 p.m.
Check out all the best food and wine that the East End has to offer at Dan’s Taste of Two Forks on July 16, 2011. Visit www.danstatseoftwoforks.com for all the yummy details! [/expand]
“over poweringfishy scent”
“The meal was fabulous and quite filling but what would this meal be withouthomemade desserts. Being at an Italian restaurant I needed to order the tiramisu.”
Very nice write-up, but it was very difficult to get past the mistakes! Do you guys have an editor???