Executive Chef Enrico Giovanello doesn't seem reluctant to add an ingredient or change the way a dish goes together when he believes the end result justifies the lack of orthodoxy.
Avellino in Sturbridge
Though dining "Italian" is perennially popular, it's far from a monolithic experience. Some who cook Italian professionally adhere to a red sauce philosophy, letting tomato and cheese dominate, while others, feeling less allegiance to convention, combine flavors and techniques with inventive abandon.
Avellino, a new restaurant in Sturbridge we visited recently, follows a middle way. Its repertoire features much that's familiar, yet Executive Chef Enrico Giovanello doesn't seem reluctant to add an ingredient or change the way a dish goes together when he believes the end result justifies the lack of orthodoxy.
The menu at Avellino, which is revised on a seasonal basis, is currently populated by a number of predictable-sounding selections, such as Spaghetti and Meatballs ($12.95) Pasta Carbonara ($15.95), and Vitello (Veal) Parmigiana ($18.95).
Somewhat less conventional are offerings like Harvest Agnolotti (squash-filled half moon ravioli -- $17.95) and Osso Bucco Short Rib ($22.95).
Starters and small plates are equally varied in their inspiration. Familiar choices like Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms ($7.95) and Antipasto ($9.95) are available, as are more atypical creations such as a Risotto con Zucca ($6.95) flavored with butternut squash puree.
We began a recent dinner with two small plates. Arancini (fried rice balls -- $6.95) is a traditional Sicilian snack that Chef Giovanello has given an autumnal twist by incorporating diced butternut squash. Deep-fried until golden-crusted, the arancini are plated with a thick smear of maple balsamic emulsion.
Their mellow flavor accented by the inclusion of Pecorino cheese, the rice balls worked well with the unconventional maple sauce.
Carpaccio di Carne ($9.95), a Northern Italian classic, was a carefully composed arrangement of tissue-thin raw beef. Topped with baby greens, pickled red onions, capers, and an aioli-style sauce, the presentation was a riot of robust flavors.
Pounded flat, pan-sauteed, and laminated with prosciutto and provolone, Pollo Saltimbocca ($20.95) reworked a traditional veal specialty. The chicken cutlet served as a pleasingly neutral backdrop for the savory ham and cheese topping, while a sage-infused butter sauce contributed a lush herbal note.
Chopped fresh tomato and artichoke hearts garnished the cheese ravioli that accompanied the chicken.
Though the salmon filet's basil pesto topcoat had a distinctive character all its own, the Salmone Al Forne ($20.95) remained a harmonious composition. We especially enjoyed the bright citrus flavor of the accompanying lemon Parmesan risotto, and a vegetable medley of garlicky sauteed spinach and cherry tomatoes proved both colorful and tasty.
A Medaglione di Filleto ($27.95) served as the menu's obligatory steak offering. Sauced with a robust Chianti reduction and paired with green beans as well as mashed potatoes studded with roasted garlic cloves, the filet steak was a dish designed to satisfy the most demanding of meat-and-potato types.
Entrees at Avellino come with bread and a dish of herb-flavored oil. A credible side salad triggers a $2.95 supplement when served with non-pasta entrees.
Avellino is fully licensed and maintains a rather small wine list. The focus is Italian; most choices are priced between $25 and $40.
The restaurant's list of dolce (desserts) isn't extensive, although a daily specialty or two often augments the standard assortment.
The latter includes Tiramisu ($8) and a Chocolate Truffle Layer Cake ($8) as well as several daily Gelati ($4).
Handsomely swirled into a cookie cup, the White Chocolate Mousse ($8) offered a velvety sweet end-of-meal experience, although we'd have eagerly traded the mousse itself for a dishful of the addictive candied pistachios used to garnish it.
A Chocolate Raisin Bread Pudding ($8) was moist, dense, and wickedly dark-hearted, the bits of dried fruit adding an interesting complexity to the dominant chocolate flavor.
Avellino occupies the building that's most easily recognized as the long-time home of the Whistling Swan, once a popular Sturbridge dining destination. The interconnected dining rooms have been completely redecorated, replacing the Swan's frilly Victorian ethos with a sleek, low-key Tuscan ambiance in which rich earth colors are dominant.
As before, the building continues to feature a separately operated casual dining loft, now known as The Duck.
Name: Avellino
Address: 502 Main Street, Sturbridge
Phone: (508) 347-2321
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Entree Prices: $12.95 - $27.95
Credit Cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Handicapped Access: Accessible, with rest rooms equipped for wheelchairs
Reservations: Accepted