Barolo Trattoria and Wine Bar Opening in New Canaan on February 19

A few weeks ago CTBites announced the anticipated opening of Barolo Trattoria and Wine Bar in New Canaan and we are pleased to announce that Barolo will open its doors to the public on Wednesday, February 19^th. Under the ownership of Rafaelo Gallo, Erick Grant, and Gary Weinstein, Barolo will offer a relaxed atmosphere in its Antipasti Bar or a slightly more formal approach in its dining room. Roe Duva, the long-time owner of Bistro Bonne Nuit is also a member of the family. Overseeing the kitchen is Executive Chef Giuseppe Castellano. Born and raised in Naples and Giugliano, Italy Chef Castellano trained throughout Italy and then worked throughout Italy before moving to the US. His recent experience includes Gran Gusto in Cambridge and Tiella Restaurant in NYC.  He told CTBites, “We will focus on the Piedmont style on the menu.” Given Chef Castellano’s southern Italian roots and his desire to create northern Italy cuisine, the opening menu is designed for the full Italian culinary experience.

The interior of the restaurant has been redecorated to create a soft, hip atmosphere. The front area includes two bars; an Antipasti Bar to the left and a liquor bar on the opposite wall. For a lighter meal, guests can relax at one of these bars, order from the top half of the menu, and enjoy a light meal with a glass of wine. To the rear of the restaurant is the main dining area, accented with soft chandeliers over booths and tables.

A sneak peek at the opening menu indicates a wide range of options to allow each guest to design the meal from numerous smaller plates or opt for a traditional multi-course Italian experience.

The top half of the menu offers numerous smaller plates in the “Salumi & Formaggi,” “Dal Mare,” “Per Iniziare” and “Insalates” sections; with traditional meats including two different Prosciuttos, Coppa and Soppressata, soft and hard cheeses, plus a full raw bar with both east and west coast oysters. Hot appetizers contain a large variety of Kobe beef meatballs, wild boar sausage, slow cooked eggplant parmesan and octopus. Insalates comprise a traditional Romana Caesar and Tri-Colore, plus a multi-ingredient Kale.

Move to the bottom half of the menu and choose from the various choices in “Le Pizze,” “Primi” and “Secondi” sections. There are currently three pizza combinations from a traditional Margherita to a spicy Diavola. The pastas are all made in-house with numerous shapes, both extruded and filled, along with traditional, wheat and black cuttlefish pastas. Several that caught my eye include a black cuttlefish spaghetti with lobster, crab meat and cherry tomato, a paccheri with prime short rib ragu and a traditional Piedmont meat agnolotti with butter, Parmesan cheese and a sage sauce. Other sauces with meats, seafood, plus vegetarian are also available. The Secondi section focuses on a full array of meats (all organic and anti-biotic free), fish and poultry. From a “beef filet mignon with a Barolo wine sauce” to a “Braised lamb shank in vegetable ragout” to a traditional Veal Milanese and potato crusted Dorado, each the entrées will allow the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine.

Stay tuned as CTBites returns to Barolo after its opening to report back.

136 Main Street – New Canaan, CT 06840 – (203) 920-1515