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Grano Arso, located in the town of Chester at 6 Main St. in a building dating back to 1902 that once housed a bank, has been named the best Italian restaurant in Connecticut by the Daily Meal, which cited the eatery's use of native New England grains in "steller" traditional pasta dishes.
Some of the impressive pasta dishes offered by the restaurant, owned by Chef Joel Gargano and his wife, Lani, include rigatoni bolognese; spaghetti with maitake, English peas, and ginger; Mafaldine (ribbon-shaped pasta) with shrimp and dandelion pesto; and roasted lemon agnolotti.
Additionally, the restaurant also serves other Italian dishes with a modernistic flair such as eggplant al forno, arugula insalata, chilled lobster, and spicy Italian sausage.
The meals are all cooked under the direction of Gargano, who learned the trade at a young age in his father's bakery and went on to work in several successful New England restaurants after graduating from Johnson and Wales with a Master's Degree in Culinary Education.
In addition to impressive Italian meals, Gargano also aims to provide a sense of hospitality and community with his restaurant, according to the eatery's website.
Evidently, many have considered him successful in this goal, as many Yelp users took to the website to leave raving reviews of the restaurant.
"We had a wonderful experience at Grano Arso," wrote Barbara B. of Clinton, who continued, "The food was so delicious, the service was very attentive to everything and very friendly and helpful."
She also added that the eatery had a "wonderful ambiance."
Amanda M. of Wilton also raved about the eatery in a five-star review.
"It was beyond delicious. The food lives up to the hype," she wrote, adding, "The flavors are outstanding and everything is cooked to perfection...They make the pasta in-house and you can tell, it's perfection."
If you're considering trying the restaurant on a night out, keep in mind that the eatery also serves a collection of cocktails, wine, and beer, as well as some tasty dessert options.
The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Those looking to read the full report from the Daily Meal can do so by clicking here.
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