Toscana Opens with a Flourish

Opening night at any restaurant possesses a kind of theatrical quality. On Friday, the much anticipated opening night at Greenwich’s newest Italian destination, Toscana, was almost operatic. Toscana’s team played to a packed house, buzzing with energy and excitement. The stage was dressed in ornate detail and the dining room glimmered with amber light bouncing off jewel-toned chandeliers and the hand-painted ceiling. The curtain raised, it was now Toscana’s chance to dazzle her audience.

And dazzle she did. The wait staff was charming and friendly, attending to the needs of guests, making recommendations and ferrying the gorgeously presented dishes from kitchen to table with grace. Sure, there were a few glitches in the lighting and sound systems, but that’s the kind of excitement that happens on opening night. And if the star of the evening, Executive Chef Patrizio D’Andrea, felt even a twinge of stage fright, he never let it show.

“I feel really, really good,” Chef D’Andrea told me. “I feel lucky that I get to do what I love to do.” A seasoned chef already at the young age of 29, Chef D’Andrea has worked in kitchens the world over. Most recently, he was a chef at Manhattan’s famous Cipriani. Cooking has been a lifelong love for him, having learned the art in his mother’s Florentine kitchen. “I’ve been doing this since I was nine years old.”

His expertise was certainly on display this night. The aptly named Amore salad of red and yellow beets, white endive and blood oranges left our table smitten with its spring-like crispness. The braised lamb shank -- Agnello all’Osso -- practically melted into a bed of parmesan risotto, dressed in a Brunello reduction. It was a slow and deliciously deliberate dish, the evening’s aria. And the Bucatini all’Amatriciana -- hollow spaghetti with San Marzano tomatoes, guanicale (a homemade bacon), pecorino and chili flakes was so delicious my dinner date and I practically fought over the final forkfuls.

For the evening’s final act, we chose the artfully prepared Grappa e Vino, a ricotta parfait paired with sugarcoated red grapes and a grappa “margarita,” a small glass of grappa rimmed in pink sugar.

My unscientific sampling of the dining room was conclusive. People were definitely enjoying themselves, and the pastas seemed to be the breakout stars of the evening.

My verdict on Toscana? It's a 'must try.'

Toscana is located at 33 Lewis Street, just off the Ave. in Greenwich. They are now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Call (203) 661-2354 to make your reservation.

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