Five Things: Il Piccolo, Johnston
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Il Piccolo Ristorante has remained a talked-about outpost of Italian flavors in Johnston for years. Was the reputation still up to snuff? Sean DeBobes went west to investigate. Here are the five things he wants you to know.
One. 21 again.
I know there must be people out there who drink these high-fructose nightmares. I however, would rather drink bathtub moonshine. I am calling for an official bar raising in the hospitality industry. Why? Because there is a genuine craft in cocktail design and restaurants need to start thinking about what is going in the glass as much as on the plate. Il Piccolo really left me longing for a good cocktail after checking out the menu. Sorority house favorites like the Berry Sexy Martini and the Cherry Cherry Cosmo were enough to scare me straight towards a bottle of wine.
Two. Gnocchi-dumplings.
My evening turned a little more savory with the house-made gnocchi ripieni. Chive ricotta gnocchi were stuffed with a four cheese blend and served with a butter and sage sauce. These oversized gnocchi had a great creamy and decadent quality. They stayed closer to their dumpling roots than to a pasta. Fluffy and doughy - and perfect for gathering up heaps of sauce. I could have done without the fragments of egg shells that were dispersed throughout some of the dish.
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Nostalgia washed over me like so much marinara… Before dinner I tried an appetizer of fried mozzarella. It reminded me so much of what all of my friend’s Italian grandmothers made growing up on Long Island. Giant wedges of fresh cheese were lightly egg battered and dipped in seasoned bread crumbs before being fried to a crunchy end. While I am not sure that Bartolomeo Scappi would put this in his Opera, this dish will always have place at my table.
Four. Language alert.
There is nothing quite like chatting with your date when you hear “Go F—K Yourself” being shouted from the kitchen by the staff (a few times). This truly charming choice of language really helped to set the ambience which was already on overload from the décor.
Five. Falling for it.
I did get to round out my evening with the wonderfully autumnal Tortellini di Zucca. Imported pockets of pasta were stuffed with pumpkin filling and served with a creamy pesto sauce. I was apprehensive about the pesto and pumpkin, but I wouldn’t doubt this combination again. The sweet pumpkin melted perfectly with the herbaceous sauce. An absolute fall sensation.
Would I go back? Maybe. This experience had some Rocky Point(s) to it. I am always one to give a second chance… but I would walk back in the door with two strikes on the board.
Hit “Save” Il Piccolo, 1450 Atwood Avenue, Johnston, 421-9843.
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