Gargano Pasta has just added a dinner option to the flourishing restaurant scene in Old Saybrook. We’re mad about their lunch (that crisp, lightly dressed Misticanza Salad and the yummiest Pasta Bolognese) and couldn’t wait to see what they were whipping up for dinner. All the salads and pastas you know and love are on offer, as well as a new batch of entrees by award-winning chef Joel Gargano. We started with grapefruit martinis, a perfect pitch of tart and sweet (and goes down too easy!), and a salad of arugula, fennel, and burrata atop a pool of pea puree sprinkled with pine nuts. So fresh, so springy. Next, a delicately seared chicken breast in a deeply flavorful red wine sauce with melting onions, grapes, and crispy roasted potatoes. The salty, savory, and sweet flavors hit all the right marks. I’ve always said Joel cooks the best chicken on the Shoreline (despite being famous for pasta), and this dish proves it yet again. A bowl of Risotto Verde with spring peas and asparagus was brightened by citrus and ginger, and we scraped up the tasty rice with spoons so as not to skip a grain.

The lovely thing about this spot is it’s super kid-friendly. The tots can munch on pizza or pasta with butter and Parmigiano, while you savor a more refined dining experience with a fancy cocktail. Win, win.

Dinner Tuesday thru Saturday, 4:30 – 8:30

https://garganopasta.com/

Free glass of wine with dinner on May 2, 3rd or 4th, 2023!