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An Aura of Aurioso
Amalfi Grille no Gennaro's — and that's just fine
Amalfi Grille, 196 Crown Street,
New Haven (203-777-4745).
Open (lunch) 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tues-Fri; (dinner) 5-9 p.m. Tues-Sun (lounge menu served later on weekends).
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Business New Haven
11/16/1998
By: Angelina Anderman
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A pleasant surprise is the recently opened Amalfi Grille, where the owners and staff have not forgotten how important it is to be friendly and courteous to customers. We have visited several times in the past months and have found both the service and the food consistently superior, and how often can you say that?
The Amalfi Grille is owned by the Aurioso family headed by Gennaro Aurioso, owner/chef of the restaurant named after him on State Street. The new venture has been quite an undertaking for the family. The space, which formerly housed Le Peep, is large and spacious but required lots of redesign and refurbishment. The results are plush. Several rooms, including a piano bar, sport cherry wood, gold wall moldings, handsome red velvet-style drapes with heavy tassels over white net café curtains and blue carpet.
Everything is spanking new, and the table linen is of the white embossed variety. Handsome glassware and cutlery make for a classy table setting. In all, an expensive project for the family.
This restaurant is run by Gennaro's son Ray, who presides over the kitchen. His uncle Franco runs the front of the house with that famous continental charm and grace so often lacking in comparable establishments.
The lunch menu is brief but complete and well priced. Besides the typical Italian specialties from the daily menu, there is a lounge menu which offers appetizers and sandwiches like porchetta with mushrooms, wine and Worcestershire sauce plus focaccia pizzas (average $6.95). A basket of good Italian bread starts the meal, but alas, it comes with packaged butter. (Olive oil would have been better even though it is death to silk ties unless you tuck your napkin under your chin.)
We decided on a smoked salmon platter from the antipasti offerings: a large platter with plenty of soft salmon with cream cheese over toast points and crispy salad greens. For $7.95, it was a full meal. We also ordered a large bowl of lobster bisque ($4.95) which was among the best ever tasted, lovely and hot with large chunks of lobster, not tepid stuff with cornstarch. A winner.
We each followed with a salad rather than a heavier entrée. Both salads were fresh and served at room temperature. The first, a mozzarella primavera ($5.95) consisted of alternating slices of tomato and roasted red peppers, topped with thinly sliced mozzarella in a fine balsamic vinaigrette (no fresh basil available at the time we lunched). The second, a Caesar with warm chicken slices, came with good romaine lettuce (no outside limp leaves here) decorated with croutons make from breadsticks and lots of parmesan cheese ($6.95). Both plates were beautifully presented.
Had we had larger appetites, we could have sampled several pastas, grilled meat or poultry, two kinds of fish and four kinds of veal dishes averaging $7.95. The most expensive item on the lunch menu is $8.95 (filet mignon, shrimp or manicotti with lobster Newburg sauce). Besides these offerings there were daily specials of sole Florentine or chicken Caprese ($7.95) or soft-shell crab Provençal ($8.95).
The Amalfi Grille has an excellent selection of good Italian wines and they are well priced, starting at $17 and $19 for white and red, respectively. A glass of house wine is $5.50 for a larger-than-average (12-ounce) goblet, while favorite aperitifs and cordials start at $5. San Pellegrino mineral water is $2.50. Desserts such as tartufo and tiramisu and fruit-flavored sorbets and ice creams are also $5.
Our favorite lunchtime tipple - well-made cappuccino - is $2.75. Excellent espresso correctly served with a sliver of lemon peel is $1.75.
If you gather from this review that we enjoyed the Amalfi Grille, you are correct. We have returned subsequently for dinner on several occasions and have enjoyed our dinners as much as our lunch experience. There is even a pianist on weekend evenings and although the prices are more expensive, Ray produces delicious food from the kitchen. And his Uncle Franco is always unfailingly happy to welcome you. BNH
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