By Steve Cooper
The Foodie Foursome
Steve Cooper
It is great to dine with friends at a restaurant recommended to me in the 10 to 15-mile drive from the Milford/Orange area. Cindy and I were joined by friends Cathy and Steve for an enjoyable night out at Lorenzo’s Ristorante Italiano, located in West Haven toward the end of Elm Street just minutes off Campbell Avenue.
The restaurant is nicely designed with the formality of cloth napkins, while keeping that comfortable feel you get when family is involved in all aspects of running the show. The staff is just as friendly and service-oriented. The restaurant was founded by Lorenzo Coletta over 15 years ago, and has had a loyal following of patrons ever since. He and his brother/business partner, Luciano, are the chefs while their mother helps with prep and creating the various fresh pastas. Joining them in running the front of house and catering are their two sisters. This really is a family restaurant.
The restaurant was recently renovated and features wonderful table spacing in the dining area and plentiful seating in the bar area. There is also a separate banquet room in the back that holds 100 for family or business gatherings. The room can also be divided to support smaller groups. If you prefer an al fresco dining experience, their new patio is also available, featuring a wood-fired pizza oven. Lorenzo’s features traditional Italian flavors as well as house-made pasta and pizza.
Our evening started with a variety of appetizers recommended by our server. Watching her “work the room” was impressive. Each table was greeted with a smile and personal attention throughout the evening.
The nice thing about being out with friends is our “family style” approach to the meal, sharing each app, salad, entrée and dessert to create a wonderful tasting. If going out with friends, you may want to try it as you get to let your palate experience a number of different dishes during the dinner.
As a culinary photographer, I instantly noticed the chef’s attention to detail and the beautifully presented and impeccably prepared food.
We started out with an Italian antipasto combination of olives, eggplant, cheese, peppers and prosciutto. The design of the presentation board featured each fresh and tasty aspect of the combo, from the fresh mozzarella to the thin-sliced prosciutto and pickled red pepper.
Our next apps were the clams casino and shrimp cocktail. The clams casino was delicate: slightly charred clams on the half shell baked with bacon and herb butter. This was one of the finest we have had in the area.
The juicy, chilled jumbo shrimp was served with Lorenzo’s own house-made cocktail sauce. The last starter was their unique fried calamari. The lightly fried calamari, served with cocktail and marinara sauce, had a crispy exterior that held the dipped sauce in every crevice as you tasted the tender calamari.
The next course was the house salad that comes with most entrées. The blend of crisp fresh lettuce, shredded carrot, cucumber and tomatoes was served with a house-made viscous garlic dressing so good that I wish I had brought a pint home. We also shared the chopped salad made with iceberg lettuce, chopped and tossed, with bacon, scallions, tomato, red onion, parmigiana and gorgonzola in a light citrus dressing.
The kitchen and wait staff were very “in sync.” There was plenty of time between selections and courses so as to not feel rushed. Yet they seemed prepared on cue with our next courses freshly prepared from scratch.
First up was the Siciliana. This featured three large, tender slices of eggplant perfectly rolled and stuffed with ham and ricotta and topped with mozzarella and marinara.
Next up was the veal parmigiana, lightly breaded and covered with tomato sauce and mozzarella. Throughout my adult life, with very few exceptions, whenever I try a new Italian restaurant my go-to for comparison is the veal. Lorenzo passed that test with no problem. The style was not a “pounded thin” veal steak but a thicker and breaded version, pan fried and topped with plenty of marinara and mozzarella. As a side with the veal, we had the house-made cavatelli in a smooth vodka cream sauce. It was cooked to a pleasant al dente.
Our last two entrees were the chicken imperiale and chicken Lorenzo. The chicken imperiale featured thin slices of white chicken served with eggplant rollattini provolone, pignoli nuts and sautéed in a light champagne sauce. The textures of the chicken and eggplant played against the luscious sauce. The chicken Lorenzo is a signature dish sautéed with oil, garlic, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and pignoli nuts in a succulent cream sauce.
We finished the evening with a cup of Lavazza Italian coffee and wonderful array of arranged desserts. The first two confectionary delights were the tartufo, a creamy ball of ice cream encased in dark chocolate and served with fresh whipped cream. The second was a creamy slice of Oreo cheesecake. The last was an artfully prepared cake and pie. The chocolate mousse cake was two incredibly fluffy layers of cake filled with a thick layer of decadent mousse. The banoffi pie was a brilliant combination of Oreos layered with bananas, caramel and whipped cream that tasted as good as it sounds.
If you are looking for a new culinary experience with friends or family, take that short drive to West Haven to check out Lorenzo’s. If you need catering or a room for a special occasion, they can help with that, too. They are open daily for lunch and dinner. For reservations, call 203-932-5846. They are located at 39 Elm St.
Steve Cooper is a local, national and international award-winning photographer, culinary influencer and executive director of the Milford Performance Center. Contact him at 203-723-3672.
Lorenzo’s has been a part of my family’s life since the day they opened. Lorenzo values his regular customers and anyone who walks through the door is welcomed, as if they were old friends. Our family has had many occasions there, including weddings, christenings, funerals, and so much more. I can say honestly, if you go to Lorenzo’s, I feel confident that you would be a regular at once.