|
D'Amelio's Italian Eatery sits atop one of the highest
points in Waterbury. It basks in the sun that nurtures tomato
plants and grape vines in the backyards of this Town Plot
neighborhood.
In this predominantly Italian section of the city, many of
D'Amelio's patrons enjoy patio dining outside the former deli
that hasn't changed its outward appearance in 17 years. The
smoked glass storefront windows with the D'Amelio logo are
still there. The red canvas awning above the door is too.
But inside this Highland Avenue eatery, a metamorphosis has
occurred. Over the course of three years, the D'Amelio
brothers, Guiseppe and Gianni, transformed the popular
neighborhood deli into a popular Italian restaurant that seats
80 patrons in comfort and offers them the same sandwiches and
salads that it always has, along with an expanded menu of
dishes like lobster filled ravioli with pink champagne and
veal saltimbocca.
"Instead of people eating in their cars, we decided to do a
renovation in the loft areas and instead of just lunch, like we
always did, we decided to do breakfast, lunch, and dinner,"
Gianni said as he sat in the air conditioned dining room on
one of the hottest June mornings on record. "We started
getting reservations, doing 40 dinners a night, and
reservations with only five tables. So we decided we needed
more tables and added a couple booths in the deli area. We
kept getting more restaurant business and took the deli case
out."
The brothers grew up in this neighborhood and Guiseppe lives
next door. Their mother, Giovannina, who lives nearby, taught
Guiseppe "how to cook her roasts, chicken, veals, fish, pasta
and sauce - a meat sauce with all fresh ingredients which is
simmered all day," Gianni said.
"People want us to expand, but I'm not changing the
appearance, the prices or the location. I'm not changing
anything."
Along with the accomodation of special requests, D'Amelio's
offers daily specials and a standard menu. Entrees are served
with a choice of pasta and a choice of tossed or spinach
salad. Italian bread from the Arthur Avenue Bakery in the
Bronx is served with a side of ricotta cheese for dipping, a
D'Amelio family tradition.
For lunch there are deli salads such as macaroni, potato and
tortollini salad. Grinders, club sandwiches and deli
sandwiches feature Italian combos, a veggie combo and
standards like turkey, roast beef and tuna. Pasta dishes from
$5.95 to $6.95 include baked manicotti. Chicken and veal
dishes include parmigiana, Marsala and Francese ($6.95 to
$8.95).
For dinner, two of the most popular appetizers, created by
Guiseppe, are crabmeat stuffed portobella mushrooms ($5.95)
and stuffed videlia onion with homemade mild sausage and
spinach or crabmeat ($5.95).
Dinner specials include zuppa de pesce ($16.95); a 20 oz.
Porterhouse steak grilled with mushrooms and hot and sweet
peppers ($16.95) and boneless pork loin sauteed with garlic
and rosemary in a cognac sauce topped with baby greens
($14.95).
The dinner menu features boneless breast of chicken with
sauteed spinach and roasted peppers, topped with mozzarella in
a Zinfandel sauce ($10.95); penne pasta with sauteed garlic,
onions, prosciutto and plum tomatoes ($8.99); penne pasta with
sauteed broccoli and garlic in cream sauce ($8.99) and
cavatelli with broccoli rabe, fresh sausage, and garlic in
virgin olive oil ($8.99).
The desserts are imported from Italy and include tiramisu,
sorbets, rum cake, and Sicilian casatta cake, which is a
cannoli filling cake.
|
