Welcome to the Neighborhood: Cantinetta

Our favorite foodie Kate Opatz takes us along for the ride on her dining adventures:

It’s a quiet, neighborhoody corner.  Tables line the exterior walls of the restaurant and diners catch the last rays of the day over bowls of mussels.

This is Cantinetta, Wallingford’s six-month-old Tuscan beauty.  The interior is spare, with white walls, dark wood accents, throw pillows tucked into the banquettes, small twinkly chandeliers.  As Cantinetta doesn’t take reservations (unless you’re a party of six or more), it’s fortunate that the bar is long and lovely and well stocked with Prosecco.

Once a table is had, atmosphere fades and food becomes the central focus.  The menu is moderately sized, with a strong emphasis on house made pasta.  Its heart is in Italy, while its produce comes from Washington.  Similarly, the wine list is a combination of the two places and a graceful blend of indulgent Brunellos and moderate Washington whites.The avocado antipasto, slightly warmed, is topped with grapefruit and oil cured olives and just a sprinkle of chilies to cut through the richness.  How lovely to have avocado as the star of a dish – it’s the perfect gentle way to start a meal.  Vegetables are treated with care at Cantinetta, as the roasted cauliflower confirms.  Cooked to sweetness, it’s topped simply with aged balsamic and Grana Padana (an Italian cow’s milk cheese similar to Parmesan).

Mussels are a house specialty, served supremely fresh and adorned with a mild broth of celery, lemon, and bay leaf.  The risotto is perfectly cooked, decorated with asparagus, just a hint of truffle, and shavings of Parmesan.

It’s difficult to settle for just one pasta dish, but portions are generous enough to make it a necessity.  The tortellini was filled with rich pork, topped with deeply flavored charred ramps, and lolling in “molla brodo”, a beautiful, subtle broth.  Texturally, the pasta itself was chewy, perhaps from undercooking, but the dish was more than enjoyable nonetheless.

The food at Cantinetta feels wholesome and warming, good for you if not necessarily healthy (like the fabulously crispy, soft-on-the-inside, not-too-sweet zeppoli we finished with).  And with the arrival of the bill, a surprise!  Prices are extremely moderate, the kind you can face quite frequently and that make those in the Cantinetta neighborhood highly fortunate people.

Editor’s note: This blog post was written by a GoTime.com Guest Blogger.  The author is solely responsible for its content.