Page 106 - Westchester Magazine - January 2011

Dining
Review
// Finalmente Trattoria
Warm Comfort
Sleepy Hollow’s Finalmente may not be the last word in Westchester dining,
There is a certain kind of warmth to Finalmente, a welcoming vibe that envelops you like a soft shawl as you step through the narrow front bar area, where dappled light from the iron-caged Moroccan light fixtures prances over the handful of bistro tables.
On the way to your table, you will pass an incongruous deli-style refrigera- tor case filled with desserts and anti- pasto plates, and then the space opens up—not grandly, but with a come-hith- er beckon—and you are in the dining room. Deep garnet-colored walls, tables tucked into corners and niches in the space, and the sort of dim lighting that can whisper of sleep or seduction (de- pending on one’s frame of mind) melt the day away as you ease into your seat.
der and, yes, perfect. The marinara with which it is served is good enough, but the calamari is even better dipped in the mayonnaise- based smoked-pepper-and-lime dressing with which the miniature crab cakes (Tortine di Granchio) were served. But we are by no means recommending ordering these crab cakes, which tasted only of filler and not at all of crab. We had a similar experience with stuffed mushrooms, which were tasty enough, but we couldn’t find a hint of the flavor of the suckling pig ragu, and the visible slices of black truffle lent barely any flavor or aroma.
Some chefs err on the side of over-salting and over-dressing: this most certainly is not the case at Finalmente. Oh, how our salad of celery root and fennel cried out for salt, or some kind of pop to the fla- vor. It was so close, so nearly there, as was a beet salad. It, too, seemed to have all the right ingredients, but the beets lacked flavor and the greens seemed to be bathing in mildly flavored liquid more than any kind of dressing.
It wouldn’t have helped the crab cakes, but still it would have been nice if the frisée on which they rest-
ed had not been bare (or nearly so); and while greens served with beef carpaccio were dressed, the meat itself was not (and was served with slices of what appeared to be waxy provolone rather than the Parmigiano-Reggiano listed on the menu).
If under-dressing and under-salting are sins of omission, is under-cooking? We like our pasta as al dente as the next guy, but we do like it cooked. Trofie Finalmente, twisted strands of pasta served with nutty chickpeas, earthy sautéed wild mushrooms, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano was a luscious, beautifully balanced dish marred by the resistant core in every piece of pasta. So, too, was the case with frutti di mare fra diavolo served as a special one night. Nicely cooked langoustines, shrimp, scallops, scungilli, calamari, and
but it does have its simple pleasures.
// By David Bonom and Marge Perry
You may or may not be there for a
while before you’re served; our experi-
ence was mixed. But whether immedi-
ately or eventually, you will be served
lovely, warm, tomato-topped focaccia;
hearty peasant-style bread; and peppery
olive oil. Along with the recitation of
the specials, we were told (as the tem-
porary sign on the front door had ex-
claimed) that white truffles could be
added to several dishes. On one visit,
we were clearly informed that there
would be a $36 surcharge; on another,
the dish description included truffles.
truffles, we stuck with more affordably priced dishes: “secondi” courses of meat, fish, and chicken ranged from $16 to $21 ($52 to $57 with white truffles); salads and appetizers from $8 to $12; and “primi,” or pasta dishes, from $13 to $17. By Westchester standards, these are reasonable prices for what can be—but is certainly not guaranteed to be—a lovely meal.
Two of the starters we tried will start the meal off well. Fresh, briny clams are thankfully left whole and topped with golden bread- crumbs, garlic, and Grana Padana in this classic (and wonderful!) version of baked clams. Crisp, honey-colored fried calamari was ten-
Trofie Finalmente or twisted strands of pasta with chickpeas, mushrooms, and Parmigiano-Reggiano
we had to ask—even when As much as we love white
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104 / JANUARY 2011 / WWW.WESTCHESTERMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO BY CATHY PINSKY
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